Curse of the Banshee Episode One
by Taidel
Summary: UPDATED!!! The Card Captors catch a plane... The Scouts move into their - er - suite... The resolution of the fight between Jade and Meilin!!! Great adventure, hilarious!!!
1. An Island in the Mist

[Disclaimer list: characters from Sailor Moon, Jackie Chan Adventures, and Cardcaptors are not used by permission, but for fun and entertainment. Believe me, as you read on, this combo WILL make sense. I must ask Japanese-speaking fans to please not be offended by my use of American names during the course of this story. I am more familiar with these names than the Japanese ones, despite the fact that this story is a sideline of Ranma ½: The Mandarin. Speaking of Ranma, characters from that which may make cameo appearances are also not used by permission.  
  
Song Zhu Shu, however, IS used by permission, as well as the encouragement of the author (I guess it's a perk of being his real-life fiancée). However, Curse of the Banshee is the prequel to an original anime-style series I am developing. So let me know what you think, and happy reading!  
  
One more note - I spell magick with a k. This is not a misspelling, but a differentiation between, say, Clow cards and sleight-of-hand. Magick is real; magic is illusion.]  
  
  
  
***Lan Tao, Southern Hong Kong***  
  
Purple-orange light danced through the sky as a far-off storm roiled over the strait of Zhujiangkou, its clouds playing tag with the sunset. Lightning rippled through them as though waving the sun farewell for the evening, probably causing the people of Macau to dash for cover before the heavy storm hit.  
  
The light, however, was not sufficient enough for the young girl on the beach to write by. She squinted in the dim light, trying to read the elegant characters she had drawn on the yellowed parchment.  
  
"Dear Li," she read aloud. "It's good to be back in Hong Kong, but I miss Tokyo. Grandmother is doing well, slowly recovering, but getting better. Things have changed, though."  
  
She trailed off, looking at an island to the south. Rising high in the distance, she could see the tall, silver towers that had appeared on the island during the semester she'd been away in Tokyo. Four months ago, that island had been green on sunny days, and shrouded in mist on darker ones. On those days, when she was younger, she used to pretend it was an enchanted island, with spirits that would whisk her away and beg her to marry their prince.  
  
She was not that much older than those carefree days - ten years old, now, but a foot taller and almost a full deck of Clow cards later. Now, if those spirits tried to whisk her away, she would have to refuse their offer, because her heart belonged to another. She had followed Li Shaoron to Tokyo in her love, had even defended him against a powerful Clow card, a dangerous one - the Fight Card.  
  
Li Meilin smiled at the memory of her endurance against this magickal enemy. Once, it had brought her only guilt, but she recalled the words of her friend Sakura: "You're part of the team, Meilin!"  
  
And because she was part of a team, she had to let the team know there was danger from a new source.  
  
The spirits of the misty island would never come to her, now. In their place were the towers, hard blades stabbing into the sky. In the twilight, bright lights shone over the island, warning airplanes of their presence, and to keep clear. Little of the green was left.  
  
However, whenever she asked anyone in the village about the new structure, they would dodge her questions and turn the subject. Meilin was not accustomed to being denied things, so at first this irked her. As time passed, though, she began to realize people were SCARED of this place, and she began to wonder why. As more of her kinsmen refused to answer her questions, she grew more and more desperate to find out what they found so threatening.  
  
Every evening, just after sunset, a helicopter flew into the island. It was not a normal helicopter, and Meilin couldn't tell where it came from, only that it did not come from her island home of Lan Tao. It had a strange design to it, almost as though it were some sort of insect. There was some sort of symbol on the side, but Meilin could not make it out, not even with binoculars. It would land, and, as she found out one very long night, stay until almost sunrise. Then, it would leave again, heading north, toward the mainland. None of this would have been very sinister to her had the others in her clan not been so intimidated by the island itself.  
  
She looked down at her letter to Li, a dark cloud crossing over her face. She crumpled the parchment in frustration and rose, thankful she had tied her waist-length blue-black hair into full odangos and not the pigtailed ones she normally wore. The wind was picking up, whistling in her ears as she looked out from her perch to the distant island. It wasn't even part of Hong Kong, and she didn't know what country it belonged to. China, like the islands around her own? Portugal, like Macau? Or was it simply the property of those silver spikes?  
  
"WHO ARE YOU?!!?" she cried out, her words carried away on the wind. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY FAMILY?!!?"  
  
Hot tears appeared in her eyes as the helicopter flew in for its landing, coming from somewhere in the south. She narrowed her eyes, using the back of her sleeve to wipe the tears away, watching the helicopter's descent into the spires. When it was out of sight, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"Force," she whispered, as she had heard Li do many times. "Hear my plight, release the light!"  
  
Inside her mind, she envisioned this incantation flooding a warm, calming glow over her, nourishing her body and her soul with tranquility. It always worked when she was alone and upset. Unfortunately, she still couldn't use it to control her temper, no matter how hard she tried.  
  
Worse yet, it only marginally worked now. She was calm, but rage still burned in the pit of her stomach as she took one last look at the island. She saved that rage, and fanned it within her, hoping that with it, she could say the right words to Li to make him come back to Lan Tao and help her rid their family of this threat. When she thought she had it close to right, she mailed it out.  
  
  
  
***New Kowloon, Mainland Hong Kong***  
  
"But Jackie, if you take me back to Mom and Dad's house, they'll want me to stay!"  
  
Jackie Chan raised an eyebrow at his niece, Jade.  
  
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked. "They're your parents!"  
  
Jade looked down, kicking at the ground. As always, Jackie was right, and she hated when Jackie was right.  
  
"I know," she said. "And I wouldn't have come here if I didn't miss them and worry about them." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "But I wanna stay with you."  
  
Jackie Chan, global adventurer and famous martial artist, felt his knees weaken at the sight of his niece's puppy-dog look, and once again marveled at how much an eleven-year-old could change his whole life. Jade was a nuisance, a pest, always getting into trouble that HE had to save her from. In fact, she was only even in Hong Kong with him because she had stowed away on one of Section 13's helicopters - piloted, no less, by the infamous criminal Valmont and his gang of thugs during their escape from Section 13's headquarters - when they had come here to stop the demon Shendu from opening a rift into another dimension.  
  
However, it was ALSO because of Jade that the demon had been stopped, even if she HAD managed to create similar rifts all over the world. That part of it wasn't really her fault - she hadn't known. She just aimed the Dragon talisman at the demon's statue form and shot it with the talisman's magickal fire beam. *[Episode 13, Jackie Chan Adventures]  
  
More than that, Jade had worked her way into Jackie's heart in a way he never expected. She made him feel warm, proud, and scared, all at once. He worried about her when she got into trouble, even though she was almost as skilled as he was in the martial arts, if not as disciplined or experienced. She had nicknamed them the J-Team, a nickname he adored as much as he adored his spirited niece. All these feelings confused him, made him giddy and uneasy all at once. Many times, he wondered what they were.  
  
And now, he wanted to tell her that life in San Francisco would not be the same without her, that there would be a gaping hole in his life if she wasn't there. He'd been in love with many women before, but his love for Jade was a new experience, and it took all of his strength not to wrap her up in his arms and tell her she could live with him forever.  
  
As it was, he couldn't tell her the truth, that she HAD to go back.  
  
"We'll see," he said. "Your parents may want you to stay, but if they approve, we'll see."  
  
Even his most favorite girlfriend had been unable to get him to lie like this, even in such a small way. Why could this little girl?  
  
Fortunately, there were stronger heads about.  
  
"Jade learn nothing of family honor since coming to San Francisco?" asked the old man who had stepped out of the kiosk beside them. Munching on a rice ball, the wild haired skinny man added, "One must honor parents above all."  
  
"Uncle is right, Jade," Jackie nodded in agreement. "You can come back and visit any time you like, but I'm afraid your parents would miss you if you didn't go home to them."  
  
Jade burst out in tears, unable to fight the frustration any longer.  
  
"I don't want to go back!" she cried out. "But I will - WHEN I'm good and ready - because I now know you don't want me!" She turned and ran off before Jackie could grab the hood of her ever-present red sweatshirt. However, the words he heard stopped him more than her speed. "Hmph - J- Team - to think I thought we were PARTNERS - "  
  
As painful as the angry exclamation was the white-hot fire that suddenly burned his earlobe. Uncle, looking like Goliath despite his shorter height, was blazing holes into the back of Jackie's head with his eyes.  
  
"Never, EVER let me see you lie to child again, Jackie," he said sternly, letting go of Jackie's ear.  
  
"Lie?" Jackie asked, bewildered.  
  
"Yes, lie, like Chinese rug," Uncle said, his mouth full of rice ball. As abruptly as his anger had surged, it was gone. He'd made his point; it was open for discussion, but more importantly, it was addressed. "If head says sky blue, but heart says sky wide, what you believe?"  
  
"But, Uncle, both of those things are true," Jackie felt more and more like a little boy being lectured by his sensei. Uncle always seemed to have that effect on him, especially since the talismans and Section 13 had come into their lives.  
  
"Ah, but head cannot soar like heart can," Uncle stuffed another mouthful of the rice ball in his mouth before walking away with a wink. He went into the direction Jade had gone.  
  
"Uncle! Where are you going? Shouldn't we look for Jade?" Jackie asked, chasing after him.  
  
"Of course," Uncle nodded. "But will be short hunt."  
  
Jade had not gone very far before being distracted by what she took to be a comic shop. Indeed, it was the equivalent of one - manga from all over the Orient was prominently displayed, and Jade was completely engrossed in an issue of Dragonball Z. She had noticed neither Jackie nor Uncle.  
  
"Yeah, you get 'em, Goku!" she said, reaching a particularly exciting frame.  
  
Jackie smiled, thinking about Superman. As a young child, he'd enjoyed those comics as much as Jade enjoyed hers, whether her manga or her Troll Cop comics. For an Oriental girl from Hong Kong, she was almost more American than he - even the manga were in English.  
  
Putting a finger to his lips, he motioned to the shopkeeper that he would pay for the manga. The shopkeeper winked at him as he made Jackie's change. Jackie pushed Uncle around the corner, and they waited for Jade to come out.  
  
Jade sighed. She knew Jackie was right, and Uncle, too. But she had so much fun with Jackie, and she had to admit, she learned a lot, too. When Shendu had threatened all of Asia, she was faced with the very real consequences of losing her parents as failure. However, she had used all the strengths she had, and helped Jackie defeat the evil demon before he had a chance to harm anyone. She and Jackie had saved the world together - how could she leave him after doing something like that?  
  
Over the forty-eight hours since they'd arrived in Hong Kong, the importance of that did not escape her. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more it weighed on her. Would she ever get to save the world again? Would she do it alone, or with Jackie and Uncle? If she did it alone, would it be as much fun?  
  
She placed the manga back on the shelf with a sniff, wishing she could take it with her. As she walked out of the shop, though, the shopkeeper said, "Miss? You forgot book!"  
  
He came running at her with the exact manga she'd been reading, but Jade decided not to question it.  
  
"Thank you," she said, smiling. "But I don't think - "  
  
"Young man outside pay," the shopkeeper nodded, smiling and pointing outside.  
  
Jade peeked out the shop door. Uncle and Jackie were leaning against a wall, trying so hard to mind their own business that it was obvious they were watching her. Her anger at Jackie forgotten, she smiled and approached him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Jackie," she said, hugging him with tears in her eyes. "It's just. I'm gonna miss the J-Team."  
  
Jackie embraced her, surprised at how quickly he was forgiven.  
  
"Remember, head see, heart soar," Uncle whispered in his ear before striding down the street and back to their hotel.  
  
Jackie reached up to clear the rice out of his ear before telling Jade, "I'm going to miss the J-Team, too, Jade."  
  
"Really?" Jade looked at him, her eyes alight.  
  
"Really," he said. He took her hand as they followed Uncle at a much slower pace. "It's hard for me to say goodbye to you. I'm going to miss you very much. So I'm sorry if I have been acting strange these past few days. It's sad for me, too."  
  
"You know, Jackie," Jade stopped, gazing up at him in complete idolatry, bringing that warm giddy feeling that made Jackie so uncomfortable. "You're my hero."  
  
He couldn't control the pleasant heat rising up in his face, and for a moment, he realized what Uncle had meant about the whole head-heart-sky thing.  
  
"I am honored," he said, bowing his head respectfully, as though to aristocracy.  
  
Then the moment was over, and they were walking down the street again. For Jackie, however, he was King of the World! The entire Dark Hand could come after him right now, and he'd be invincible! He'd fight like a lion, because he was - (insert drum roll here) - JADE'S HERO!!!  
  
His head was in the clouds as she started babbling about her new manga, and it remained there all the way back to the hotel. He couldn't help wishing he could admonish Uncle for being wrong about which part of the body could soar. The little girl holding his hand worshipped him, and the moon was not beyond reach. Nothing was.  
  
Captain Black was waiting in the lobby when they entered the hotel. He had a grim look on his face as he consulted with Uncle. Abruptly, Jackie was brought back to New Kowloon, to the dire news that would surely accompany those gloomy expressions.  
  
"I'm afraid we have to cut this vacation short, Jackie," the tall Section 13 agent said. He looked ready for an invasion, strapped as he was with guns and high-tech gadgetry beneath his black trench-coat.  
  
"What's going on?" Jackie asked, more to Uncle than the captain.  
  
"All heck's broken loose at headquarters since Valmont's escape," Black told him. "And there's another affair I have to tend to, as well."  
  
There was something in his eyes, begging Jackie to ask him.  
  
"Is there anything I can do?" His mouth had moved on automatic; he'd had enough adventure to last a while, and just wanted to go home to San Francisco and relax. Wistfully, he realized that if Valmont was free, it would be a long time before he could.  
  
"Officially, you know I can't ask you that," Now Black was boring holes into him, letting him know that there was plenty for Jackie to do.  
  
Jackie looked at Jade. "Heroes don't get any rest, do they!"  
  
Jade nodded. "Looks like the J-Team's back in business!"  
  
"No, no, no," Jackie shook his head. "Not this time. You're going home this time, and staying OUT of danger."  
  
"But, Jackie, we're a team!" Jade cried.  
  
"Jade," Jackie said warningly. "You HAVE to go home. You're too young to be running around Hong Kong, getting involved in - in - " He turned to Captain Black. "Just what ARE we getting involved in?"  
  
"We'll discuss that - later," Captain Black made a subtle motion with his eyes toward Jade.  
  
"Can you.?" Jackie raised an eyebrow at Captain Black.  
  
"Well, despite the fact she's outwitted some of my best agents, I suppose I can," Captain Black smirked. "As a matter of national security."  
  
Jade narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"  
  
The answer came in the form of big, strong arms around her waist, lifting her from the ground. One of Section 13's biggest agents had her slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She kicked and screeched and even bit, but to no avail. This guy was a rock!  
  
Jackie dug through his wallet for a moment before handing the agent a business card.  
  
"This is my brother's address," he said. "Please don't scare him. Tell him. tell him you work for me."  
  
The agent looked at Black, raising an eyebrow. Black shrugged. The agent then nodded and walked out.  
  
Black sighed. "Too bad she's so young. If she wasn't, I'd definitely want her at my back."  
  
Before Jackie had a chance to reply, Jade burst back in, knocking a pair of bewildered American tourists flat on their behinds. The aging couple looked at one another in shock.  
  
"How rude!" the woman said. "Is everyone in Hong Kong like this?"  
  
"Let's hope not, schnookums," the man replied, rising.  
  
As he reached his hand out to help her up, the door burst open again and the burly agent blasted in behind the little girl. The man went flying into the lady's lap, his camera and film flying everywhere.  
  
"Well, I suppose you get what you pay for," he said with disgust.  
  
"And 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' said that Tom Cruise stayed here," his wife snorted in agreement.  
  
Ten yards away, Jade was shouting at Jackie, "You've got to let me come with you, Uncle Jackie, you've just GOT to!"  
  
As the agent grabbed her again, Jackie said, "I'm sorry, Jade, but you can't come this time. You must go home. Please, trust me."  
  
"NO!" Jade cried with angry tears welling up. "I won't go home! I'm going with you!"  
  
Taking a deep breath, Jackie did something that he knew would tear both their hearts right out of their chests. The difference was that Jade's would be put back. Jackie's would get trampled by elephants for a while, first.  
  
He turned around, and he walked toward the stairs. He ignored Jade's frantic protests, even successfully ignored the tears welling in his own eyes as he took each step one at a time. He could sense Uncle and Captain Black behind him, uncertain how to proceed. He hoped they would follow him up the stairs, but regardless, he continued. Each step was torture.  
  
"No! No, Jackie, don't leave me! Jackie! I wanna go with you!" Jade cried. "Uncle! Captain Black! Tell him! We're a team! JACKIE!"  
  
Uncle and Black must have followed him, because suddenly, Jade's voice grew hysterical, almost eerie.  
  
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME BEHIND! WE'RE A TEAM!" And then, like a sword through the gut: "I HATE YOU, JACKIE!"  
  
Jackie stopped, as though he really HAD been run through. Jade's voice was fading as the agent brought her back outside, but Jade had left a wound that could not heal easily.  
  
"She hates me," he said, astounded, as Black and Uncle caught up to him. "She hates me."  
  
"That good!" Uncle said brightly. Even Black had to glare at Uncle for this. "Remember, hate not opposite love. Is same."  
  
"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Black snickered. "I LOVE Valmont, that's why I hate him so much."  
  
"Ah," Uncle held up a finger. "Is Valmont you love, or catching him?"  
  
"No, Jade really HATES me," Jackie repeated.  
  
"I admit I love my work, but catching Valmont? I'll be happier when he's safely behind bars," Black protested.  
  
"Are you sure?" Uncle raised an eyebrow and continued up the stairs.  
  
Black chased after him, saying, "Yes, I AM sure! The world is safer with guys like that behind bars."  
  
"Ah, but you hunter, Captain," Uncle replied as they reached the next floor. "If you capture Valmont, who prey?"  
  
"She hates me."  
  
  
  
"I hate him!" Jade was saying outside as the agent literally threw her in the back of his black Caprice Classic. She tried to scramble toward him, but he slammed the door before she could get out. The back had no handles, and he was in the car before she could jump into the front.  
  
"Now you behave, little girl," he told her sternly. "I don't know what the big news in Lan Tao is, but it's no place for you."  
  
Jade realized that she wasn't going to get out of it this way, so she sat back in her seat.  
  
Having some time to cool off, she realized that the last words she had ever said to her uncle were "I hate you." Realizing how much she must have hurt his feelings, she suddenly felt very ashamed of herself. How could she have said such a thing? She had to make it right, somehow!  
  
Not just that, but, no matter what he said, Jackie needed her. She was as responsible for him as he was for her, and there was no way she could let him go on an adventure and get into all kinds of danger alone without her to look after him. And if the big news was in Lan Tao, it was just as important to find her way there as it was to get back to Jackie.  
  
"So what's this big news?" she asked.  
  
"Classified," the agent responded stoically.  
  
"Hey, I saved the world from Shendu," she said casually. "You DO know that, right?"  
  
"Of course I know that," the agent retorted. "I was there. 'Only magick can defeat magick.'" *[again, Episode 13. Highly recommended]  
  
Jade chuckled. "I see you met Uncle."  
  
"That man's your uncle?" the agent raised an eyebrow. "Well now I see why they had to get an agent to get you home."  
  
Jade smiled fetchingly. "I'm not all THAT bad."  
  
"Sure," came the skeptical reply.  
  
She took another approach.  
  
"So you were there when we fought Shendu, huh?" she asked.  
  
"For all the good we did, yeah," the agent snorted. "You and Jackie did most of the work."  
  
"Yeah, we make a great team," she sighed wistfully.  
  
"On a personal note, if I were fighting that splinter group in Lan Tao, I'd want you covering my butt," the agent complimented. "Even if you are a little girl."  
  
"Why, thank you, agent!" she said, her grin genuine and fueled not by his compliment, but by his leak of information. She let it fade as she asked, "Can we stop at a gas station?"  
  
"I can't stop until I get you home, miss," the agent shrugged. "Nothing personal. Just following orders."  
  
"But I REALLY need to stop," she whined slightly, indicating that she had to stop for reasons of nature.  
  
"You're gonna have to hold it," the agent replied.  
  
"I don't think I can!"  
  
The agent rolled his eyes.  
  
"Fine. We'll stop. But you've got two minutes. Any longer and I'm coming in after you."  
  
They stopped at a gas station, still in the heart of New Kowloon, and the agent let Jade out of the car. He escorted her to the bathroom, then held the door open as he waved her in. She abruptly turned to catch him following her.  
  
"What are you doing?" she demanded.  
  
"I'm supposed to keep an eye on you," the agent replied.  
  
"Read the sign," Jade pointed. The agent looked at it for a moment.  
  
"I can't," he said. "It's Chinese to me."  
  
Jade looked up at the sign, then rolled her eyes.  
  
"That's because it IS Chinese. But the little stick figure is wearing a skirt. That means this is the girls room."  
  
The agent just looked at her, speechless. Egged on by this sudden control, she added, "That means no boys allowed!"  
  
She headed towards the commodes, hearing the soft THUMP! as the door shut behind her. She turned to see if the agent was still watching her, but he had heeded her words. She grinned.  
  
"Now, to get back to Jackie," she said to herself as she spotted a window.  
  
It was an old window, and it opened easily enough. The drop to the ground was also very low, and within moments, Jade was blending in with the crowd two blocks over.  
  
"That was my easiest escape yet!" she giggled to herself. "And he was even nice enough to tell me what's going on!"  
  
A splinter group. of what? And why was Section 13 treating this like a threat to national security? If it was a threat, how much of one was it? What had Jackie gotten himself into this time?  
  
She had no answers to any of these questions yet, but the answers were in Lan Tao. Getting there was easy enough.  
  
As she made toward the shipping district, she said to herself, "I'm coming, Jackie! I've got your back!"  
  
  
  
Behind her, a postal worker scurried to get this special delivery letter with the Li family seal onto the mail ship to Tokyo.  
  
  
  
***Nerima District, Tokyo, Japan***  
  
The dojo was animated and full of noise as lessons were in session on a bright afternoon. The students, five girls of fifteen, sat in a respectful semi-circle, eyes on the action at the center of the dojo. Off to the side, a pair of cats sat watching the display just as intently as the five girls, the crescent moons on their foreheads differentiating them from real cats as much as their scrutiny.  
  
The two girls in the center were facing off in mid-battle, each holding a pair of fighting ribbons. Both were clad only in bikinis of very thin fabric, and neither was pulling a punch. The Chinese girl with the long hair and the huge jade-green eyes had a huge bruise in her right arm. The short-haired Japanese girl was standing on one foot, perfectly balanced, but favoring the leg that had the red mark on its calf. Their eyes were locked, their brows covered with sweat, wrinkled in concentration.  
  
It seemed to last an eternity before the Japanese girl leaped in the air in an aerial twist, her ribbons bearing down on the Chinese girl like a tornado as she sailed above her. The Chinese girl responded by lashing the ribbon in her good hand out in a straight line. Like iron, it seemed to slice through the air and disrupted the whirling ribbons. The Japanese girl landed, wincing as her bad leg bore the full of her weight for a moment.  
  
"Akane do better in sleep!" the Chinese girl taunted, but with real affection. Akane narrowed her eyes, her fighting instincts up, despite the fact her sparring partner was also a close friend. Both her ribbons were tangled into the Chinese girl's one, and the other was coming at her with just as much vehemence as the first. Holding her ribbons tightly, she rushed at the Chinese girl, then at the last second, tucked away from her. The Chinese girl's momentum was going forward and over Akane, so using her tangled ribbons to send the Chinese girl with it was a simple thing. The ribbon holding hers went limp, freeing them from its grasp.  
  
The Chinese girl rolled with the punch and jumped up in a fighting stance.  
  
"Zhu Shu take back," she nodded. "Akane impressive, if impulsive."  
  
She ran forward, doing a series of leap-turns that looked more like a dance than martial arts. The ribbons made whirlwinds around her as she approached Akane, forming an impenetrable shield around her gazelle-like figure. Akane twirled her ribbons, trying to fend off the approach, unwilling to take even a single step back.  
  
Zhu Shu took one final leap in Akane's direction, lifting one arm to drop a spiral over Akane's head. Akane jerked back, but too late. The ribbon had her held tightly, like the bandages of a mummy. Zhu Shu glided to the floor, lifting the other ribbon over her head and allowing the spiral to die down. With a flick of her wrist, she freed Akane's head of the other ribbon, revealing the astonished Japanese girl's face.  
  
Zhu Shu turned to the other girls, holding out her bare arms and gesturing to them.  
  
"Nothing up sleeves - no sleeves. No tricks, just ribbon," she said to them in halting Japanese. "Anything can be weapon. Best weapon imagination."  
  
Two of the girls were listening intently, with a look of almost worship in their eyes. The smaller of the two closed her eyes and meditated on this a moment, her face serious and her hands clasped in a focusing mantra. The other, the tallest, was not meditating, but the way she chewed her lip made it very clear that she paid it just as much heed.  
  
"Rei, Lita, take floor," Zhu Shu said.  
  
"Are we going to use the ribbons?" Lita, the taller one, asked, hope in her eyes.  
  
"No need ribbons," Zhu Shu scolded.  
  
"Right," Lita muttered. "Imagination."  
  
She and Rei took fighting stances and waited for Zhu Shu to call the fight. Before anything could happen, however, a loud beeping sound arose from the pile of school books on one side of the dojo.  
  
"My computer!" One of the other girls jumped up and ran to the pile. Everything stopped, and Zhu Shu watched intently as the girl dug through her bag to procure a small blue pocket computer with a symbol on it: a heart, with a cross hanging from it and topped with a crescent, the symbol of Mercury.  
  
As if to emphasize that this wasn't a normal scene, one of the cats, the white one, spoke with a soft male voice: "What's going on, Ami?"  
  
There were two girls left sitting, both with blonde hair. The one with the long blonde hair tied in a red ribbon rose expectantly. The other, bearing odangos and pigtails, moaned and buried her head in her arms.  
  
"Not the Negaverse again!" she whined.  
  
"Don't worry, Serena," Rei said, joining them from the floor with Lita. "If it IS the Negaverse, you can always whine like that at them. They'll run away screaming!"  
  
"They will not, and I don't whine!" Serena whined.  
  
"Give it up, you do too!"  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do you two EVER stop fighting?" Akane asked, drying herself off with a towel and slipping into her gi.  
  
"Nope," Lita said. "They never do."  
  
"Well, be quiet and let Ami talk!" the black cat scolded.  
  
"It's another power spike," Ami told them, intent on the computer screen. "Not as strong as the one two days ago, but it's from Hong Kong again." She looked up. "Data neither confirms nor denies a relationship to the other spike, but they're both very negative energy."  
  
The black cat frowned. "Why would the Negaverse be in Hong Kong?"  
  
"Negaverse negative energy, yes-no?" Zhu Shu asked the cat. When the cat nodded, Zhu Shu added, "Maybe not Negaverse. Maybe some other type."  
  
Rei nodded in agreement, addressing the black cat. "In my training as a Shinto priestess, we learn about all kinds of evil spirits, Luna."  
  
"You mean there's other stuff besides the Negaverse out there?" the pig- tailed blonde, Serena, asked, her face full of alarm. "I mean, up till now, the only other enemies we've faced have been." Suddenly she blushed. "I mean. uh."  
  
"You," Lita, slightly bolder, finished for her.  
  
Zhu Shu looked around at all of the girls, who were looking expectantly at her. Feeling like she had to answer them, she licked her lips and took a deep breath.  
  
"If need, Zhu Shu will check out," she said. "No Scouts. Not ready."  
  
"Zhu Shu, we're leaving for China TOMORROW!" Akane exclaimed with a nervous squeal. "Remember, betrothal ceremony, Amazon village, me and Shampoo?"  
  
"Zhu Shu not forget," the Chinese girl smiled at her dear friend. "Have much business in China. Hong Kong not out of way."  
  
"No way, Zhu Shu," Lita shook her head. "If it is the Negaverse, we can't ask you to get involved."  
  
"M-hmm," Ami agreed, joining the others, computer in hand. "It's dangerous enough being Sailor Scouts." She trailed off, horror on her face. The other girls turned various shades of red as well, and an uncomfortable silence pervaded. ".and you're not a Scout," she finished.  
  
"Well, I agree with Ami," Akane said. "I've got a future husband AND a future wife, and my husband has almost as many enemies as you do." She bowed to Zhu Shu, then to the girls. "If you will excuse me, our time is up, I have a ton of homework, and that sounds like really good advice."  
  
She smiled as she left, waving goodbye to the five girls who were secretly famous as the Sailor Scouts. Ami, with the computer, was Sailor Mercury, whose shabon and ice attacks had broken the ice with more than one foe. The long-haired blonde with the red ribbon was Sailor Venus, whose Crescent Beam had saved them in battle with Zoicite and Malachite, two of Queen Beryl's top generals. Rei was Sailor Mars, Shinto priestess and champion of Fire, and more than one Nega-villian had been burned by her in a fight. Lita was Sailor Jupiter, wielder of lightning and electricity, as shocking in power as in her Amazon height.  
  
Ironically, their leader was Serena, the whiny pig-tail girl. Despite her cowardly demeanor, complete lack of motivation, and utter disregard for responsibility, Serena, secretly Sailor Moon, was one of the city's most famous heroes. Sailor Moon sightings were cropping up like Bigfoot in America; if the masses knew their hero was a fifteen-year-old girl with more interest in boys and manga than saving the world, would it make them wonder?  
  
But Sailor Moon and her Scouts had not come by their reputation lightly. Serena had matured quite a bit since becoming aware of her true identity as the Moon Princess, and had willingly chosen, upon awakening the life power of the Doom Tree, to retain their memories of the entire adventure so they could be ready when danger struck again. The Negaverse had been quiet since then, but the girls kept regular patrols whenever any type of strange energy surfaced. It was on one such expedition that they came in contact with Zhu Shu. *[see Ranma ½: The Mandarin for details]  
  
Zhu Shu took them under her wing, being an expert martial artist and a master with many weapons. She was the sole heir of the Song School of Sword Dance, and the lessons she had so far passed on to the Scouts were valuable. Even Serena was leaving each session with a new grace and wisdom. They had almost lost her not four days ago - indeed, had lost her, and rejoiced at her return.  
  
Zhu Shu watched Akane's back as she exited the dojo, then turned her full attention to the Scouts.  
  
"What this?" she asked.  
  
"Well, we've been talking," Sailor Venus said. "And even though you have a pen, we don't want to see you in danger, especially OUR kind of danger."  
  
Serena nodded. "Mina's right. We couldn't bear it if we lost you again, especially to the Negaverse."  
  
"If not Negaverse, is Zhu Shu's responsibility," their sensei told them. "Then, who not ask who for help?"  
  
"You'd BETTER ask us for help," Rei said, and Zhu Shu could see her aura flare with the fire that made her Mars. She was flattered by her friends' passion. "Six can do better what one could do well."  
  
Zhu Shu laughed. "Rei-chan sensei, now? Rei-chan teach Zhu Shu?"  
  
Rei flushed, falling to her knees in submission.  
  
"I meant no disrespect, honored sensei," she said, looking horribly miserable at her slight.  
  
"Rei-chan misunderstand," Zhu Shu offered a hand to help Rei up. Their relationship was closer than any of the other Scouts; indeed, Zhu Shu considered Rei second only to her blood-sisters, Akane and Shampoo. Twice Rei had nursed her back to health after serious traumas, but Rei's immense pride - or lack of it when it came to Zhu Shu - betrayed her true respect and love for her Chinese friend, a fact which Zhu Shu accepted with honor.  
  
"Rei-chan's advice wise," Zhu Shu added, causing the priestess to blush furiously. "Even if Zhu Shu no take."  
  
"But our job is to fight evil," Ami protested. "Right, Luna?"  
  
Before Luna had a chance to answer the question, Serena broke in.  
  
"Guys," she said, yawning. "Can we talk about this over ice cream sodas? I'm starved!"  
  
Even Rei had to admit it was a good idea. "We need to get Akane and Shampoo a betrothal present anyway," she said.  
  
"Zhu Shu, maybe you could help us, since you know them better than we do," Ami added.  
  
"Zhu Shu honored," the Chinese girl's huge green eyes sparkled with delight. "We go on - how you say - 'shopping spree'?"  
  
"THAT," said Mina, her beautiful face glowing with delight, "sounds like fun!"  
  
  
  
Unbeknownst Zhu Shu or the Scouts, there was another pair of eyes observing the dojo.  
  
Kodachi was too far away to hear what was being said, but she had observed the lesson with interest. Watching the beautiful goddess that was both her greatest love AND the rival for her greatest love, she had sighed with pleasure. However, when the Chinese girl had taken to fighting her with the ribbons, her whole demeanor changed.  
  
Just days ago, Akane had beaten her in the martial rhythmic gymnastics match between Fuurikan High School and her own St. Bacchus School for Girls. She had beaten Kodachi with ribbons, just like the ones she was fighting the Chinese girl with. For this, Kodachi loved her.  
  
Kodachi Kuno was not used to losing. Whenever she faced even the slightest chance of failure, she found some way to undermine it. Like that brat her sophomore year. The girl was the best rhythmic gymnast at St. Bacchus. But a few well-placed rumors later, and the girl was kicked out of St. Bacchus and branded "karate maniac," a title which Kodachi had ensured she would carry to the next school she went to.  
  
Akane, thus, had been the first person to ever beat her. And this Chinese BITCH had beaten Akane!  
  
For Kodachi, that was a slap in the face. To find someone better than her was deserving of worship. But someone better than THAT just boggled her mind. She was not sure whether to sweep the Chinese demoness off her feet or just kill her.  
  
When two of the other girls rose and took the floor, Kodachi nearly fell off her perch.  
  
"No," she whispered to herself, amused. "It can't be. This is too delicious!"  
  
She didn't even mind when her goddess left the dojo. She kept her eyes on the rest of the group, wondering what they had to do with the wonderful, perfect Akane. Surely they were not worthy of her, especially if they chose to consort with. with HER.  
  
"I cannot beat the Chinese wench in battle," she told herself. "But, there's more than one way to bring someone into the bowels of hell, as your friend knows. And I, the Black Rose, know them all!"  
  
She couldn't stop her amused giggles as she trailed the Chinese hag and her five peons all the way to Juuban Mall.  
  
  
  
An hour, a hundred stores, and a dozen shopping bags later, they were sitting in a booth in the mall, gobbling ice cream sundaes and trying to decide what to do about Hong Kong.  
  
"The computer is set to filter out localized energy," Ami was explaining. "There's a certain amount of normal energy that will be there, just from arguments, rivalries, bad feelings, and things like that. The next level is also localized, but wider. That's what happens when groups with minor powers use energy for specific means, like when Rei does one of her Shinto rituals."  
  
"Minor powers?!!?" Rei interrupted.  
  
"As opposed to global powers, yours are minor," Ami replied, smiling. "And what turned up from Hong Kong three days ago was a global-scale power. So was the spike we got today. Do you remember the spike we tracked the night we met Zhu Shu?" As the other girls nodded, and Zhu Shu listened intently, Ami continued, "This is bigger, and also from Hong Kong. I can't believe it's a coincidence they both come from the same place."  
  
"That's all the more reason Zhu Shu shouldn't try to take it on alone," Lita said, turning to the Chinese girl. "You NEED us, Zhu Shu."  
  
Zhu Shu nodded. "Maybe, but if no fight, no need Scouts. How know there will be fight?"  
  
Mina nodded. "You're right. But promise us, Zhu Shu, that if there IS a fight, if there IS something to worry about, you'll contact us."  
  
Zhu Shu raised an eyebrow at the five Scouts. "And you promise Zhu Shu you no go Hong Kong unless Zhu Shu say."  
  
All the Scouts looked to Serena and nodded. Realizing she was their spokesperson, Serena said, "We promise."  
  
Zhu Shu sat back in her seat, satisfied on two counts as the subject turned to boys and romance. First, she had persuaded the Scouts to stay out of danger. Second, she had avoided promising that she would do the same.  
  
  
  
Having spent the night on a damp, dank, cargo ship, the yellowed parchment was none the worse for wear. The wax was still stiff, the symbol emblazoned on it never fading. And as the postal worker carrying it made his way toward the home of its addressee, he was inadvertently followed by two ten-year-old girls with a lot on their minds.  
  
  
  
***Tomoeda Ward, Tokyo***  
  
The walk from Juuban Ward was slow, but neither Madison nor Sakura cared. They had other things on their minds.  
  
As the two ten-year-old girls walked down the street, Sakura was saying, "Now I'm even more worried about Meilin. Is that strange?"  
  
"Well, you yourself said they felt sort of like Clow Cards to you," Madison threw back a lock of her long lavender hair, holding up her video camera. "That's why I taped them."  
  
"I still wish I knew why they gave me such a strange feeling," Sakura looked down at her feet; despite the warm day, she was sorry she'd worn sandals. Her feet were so sore she was afraid she would not be able to skate for a while. "Who did you say they were?"  
  
"I only recognized a few of them," Madison wrinkled her brow. "I know you recognized Mina Aino, star of all the Sailor V movies. And the tall one was Lita Kino, the gymnast. But I don't know who any of the others were."  
  
"The Chinese girl was beautiful," Sakura said wistfully, her hand self- consciously rising to her short light-brown hair. "If I looked like that, Julian would notice me for sure."  
  
"She was really pretty," Madison said brightly. "But I thought you said you got the weirdest feeling from her."  
  
"Especially when they were talking about Hong Kong," Sakura said nervously, suddenly looking around. To Madison, she added, "Do you get the feeling we're being followed?"  
  
Madison looked around, both naked-eyed and with her camera.  
  
"I don't see anybody," she replied. "But around you, anything's possible."  
  
They continued on, but Sakura kept looking around uneasily. She could feel a dark presence nearby, and not one she thought she could deal with today.  
  
"It's just, ever since that nightmare I had about Meilin the other night, I've been worried about her," she confided to Madison. "And when those girls mentioned Hong Kong - THERE!"  
  
She suddenly and excitedly pointed to a nearby tree.  
  
"Someone's following us, Madison!" she cried. "They're in that tree!"  
  
Madison put her lens to her eye and zoomed in on the tree. All she could see were leaves and branches.  
  
"Still nothing," she shrugged. "Just act natural and stay on guard." As they continued walking, she coaxed her friend, "Go on. What about Hong Kong?"  
  
"Well, it made me wonder if maybe my dream wasn't true," she admitted. "I mean, I've had so many other ones come true before - Li, Miss Mizuni - and if Meilin is in danger, I need to be there to help her!"  
  
"I agree, but what can we do about it?"  
  
"I don't know," Sakura said, looking at the ground miserably. "But we have to do something. I just hope we hear from her soon."  
  
"Me too - woooah!"  
  
Suddenly and abruptly, they were yanked off balance by the backs of their shirts. They twisted behind them to see a tall and rather menacing teenager glaring down at them, her violet eyes blazing. She wore her long hair in a ponytail that trailed down to one side, and her shapely, muscular body was clad in a black leotard with a black velvet rose emblazoned on it. She also wore a loose wrap, which she was shedding and wrapping around one clenched fist.  
  
"Give me that videotape you just took," she hissed at Madison.  
  
Madison wrinkled her brow in defiance. "No way!" she shouted, running. "Come on, Sakura!"  
  
Both girls bolted as fast as they could, Sakura fingering the key that rested on a small gold chain around her neck. However, the girl in black suddenly appeared before them, her lips wrapped in a sultry manner around the cut end of a black rose.  
  
"You obviously don't know who I am, or you would not defy me," the girl said. "I am the Black Rose, and I demand that tape now!"  
  
"What makes you think we TOOK a tape?" Sakura demanded, wondering with horror how this girl had gotten a hold of the Leap card.  
  
"Because I've been following those girls for several hours now, and I watched you take it," the Black Rose replied tritely. "So give it to me!"  
  
"Why should we?" Madison challenged. However, she cowered slightly when the teenager advanced upon them. She and Sakura huddled together, and Madison was hoping Sakura would pull a Clow card soon.  
  
"Because those girls are dangerous," the Black Rose hissed. "And because I said so!"  
  
"Wait, those girls are dangerous? How?" Sakura asked, real alarm on her face.  
  
"They are all crazy," the Black Rose said slowly. "Especially the Chinese girl. I need that tape. I need to know what they were talking about."  
  
Sakura looked at Madison for a moment, then back at the Black Rose.  
  
"We could make you a copy, if that would be okay," she ventured. "We think they're dangerous, too, and we think one of our friends is in danger from them. Perhaps we could help each other?"  
  
"YOU, help ME?!!?" Kodachi nearly wet her panties in laughter. "Please. You're children."  
  
Sakura looked at Madison, holding up the key. Madison's eyes were pleading, so the silent communication was affirmative. She took a deep breath, summoned all her strength, and.  
  
"Alright, suit yourself," she said to the teenager.  
  
Holding up the key, she added, "Oh Key of Clow, power of magick, power of Light! Surrender the Wand, the force ignite! Release!"  
  
Kodachi was momentarily blinded as a golden circle of light formed around the two girls. Covering her eyes, she fell back, landing hard on her butt. She looked up to see that the pendant the little runt with the short hair had been wearing was now a wand the size of a walking stick, golden mist emanating from it.  
  
Suddenly, she realized these babies could be useful after all.  
  
"Wait!" she cried out amidst the loud din of energy. "Maybe you CAN help me!"  
  
Sakura looked at Madison with a big grin.  
  
"You know, it's amazing how nice people get when you throw magick into the mix," she said.  
  
"Yeah, but do we really need HER help?" Madison motioned a thumb at Kodachi.  
  
"I have money," Kodachi said, sitting up and facing them eye-to-eye. "Lots of money."  
  
"My mom makes lots of money, too," Madison retorted. "From what I see, you're just a big bully with a bad attitude."  
  
"Well, you were just saying you may need to get to Hong Kong," Kodachi leaned her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers. Her family had not come by its fortune just sitting around, and Kodachi was no exception. She knew how to make a deal, and persuading these girls to help get her to the Chinese cow would be too simple. especially if the cow was going to Hong Kong, too.  
  
"And," she said. "I'm a big bully with a private jet."  
  
Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I don't know if we can trust you," she said. "You DID try to attack us."  
  
Thinking quickly, Kodachi replied, "I thought you were in league with them." Standing, she said, "Listen. You've got nothing to lose. You make me a copy of your tape, and I will leave you my card. Should you decide it is necessary to go to Hong Kong, I will give you use of my jet."  
  
"How about you give us your card," Madison said. "And we'll call you if we decide to accept your offer. If we do, we'll have a copy of the tape ready for you."  
  
Kodachi narrowed her eyes. How in the world could she ensure that they decided to come? These little twerps and their magick could easy weaken the Chinese Akuma, and then Kodachi would have the pleasure of finishing her off. After that, who cared? All she had to do was convince them the Chinese girl was trouble.  
  
"Just heed my warning," she said. "That Chinese girl is an Oni. She's very dangerous. If you're really concerned for your friend, you need my help defeating her. I know a lot about her."  
  
"We'll THINK about it," Sakura emphasized.  
  
Something dropped from the hand of the Black Rose before she disappeared as abruptly as she'd manifested herself. Madison bent down to pick up the small rectangular card. Suddenly her eyes went wide.  
  
"Of course, I can't believe I didn't recognize the name sooner!" she cried. "Kodachi Kuno, from St. Bacchus's! She's the martial rhythmic gymnastics goddess in this town! She may even be on the Olympic team!"  
  
"Wow," Sakura said, looking over Madison's shoulder after dispelling the wand back down to a key. "I wonder why someone so famous wants to fight Oni."  
  
"Well, she's supposedly a real inspiration to the St. Bacchus's team," Madison informed her. "And she's involved in a lot of charities, because she's so rich."  
  
Sakura snorted as they continued walking toward her house.  
  
"It's hard to tell from the way she treated us," she said.  
  
Madison shrugged. "All I know is what I've seen on television," she said.  
  
"So, do you think we should accept her deal?"  
  
Madison shook her head. "I would have made her a copy for free, if she'd just been nicer about it. But if that girl is some kind of demon, the Black Rose NEEDS that information to fight her."  
  
"Madison, do you think the Chinese girl is a Clow card?" Sakura asked, finally giving voice to her nagging apprehension.  
  
"Well, you said she felt like one," Madison said. "But I still think we should show Kero the tape."  
  
A few more blocks brought them home. A boy their age was sitting on Sakura's front porch, wringing a yellowed piece of parchment in his hand. His serious brown eyes were filled with fear, and his dark hair and clothes were a rumpled mess. He'd obviously run all the way here.  
  
"Li!" Sakura exclaimed. "Are you alright?"  
  
They both ran up to him as he held up the letter.  
  
"It's from Meilin," he said. "I need to go back to Hong Kong. There's trouble at home."  
  
"I knew it!" Sakura exclaimed. "My dreams are never wrong!"  
  
Li shot her a long, measuring look. "What are you talking about?"  
  
She explained to him all she had told Madison as they entered the house. They made straight for Sakura's bedroom, not even bothering to see if anyone was home; Sakura's father and brother were both at work.  
  
Sakura's room was that of a typical ten-year-old girl: posters of pop idols were just starting to appear on the wall, but there were still traces of toys, collections of dolls and stuffed animals all over. There was only one difference: one of them was playing a video game. And winning, from the sound of it.  
  
The small golden winged bear at the computer console was about the size of a rat, and totally adorable. However, in his full form, Keroberos was actually the Guardian of the Book of Clow, a role he now lived, ever since Sakura opened the book and freed the cards. He was supposedly a mighty power, and had grown to be a close friend of Sakura and the other Card Captors over time.  
  
Kero didn't even turn around when Sakura entered the room.  
  
"Hi, Sakura," he said. "Did you bring me any pudding?"  
  
"We've got problems, Kero,"  
  
He paused his game and gave her his full attention, noticing Li and Madison for the first time.  
  
"Woah, this IS serious, kid," he said to Li. "Usually, when you see me, you've got a smart remark. What's going on?"  
  
Sakura related to him her dream, the Chinese girl at the mall, and their encounter with Kodachi Kuno, wrapping up with finding Li on the doorstep. Kero took in each bit of information, only pausing to inquire about the teenaged gymnast. When Sakura was finished, Kero turned to Li.  
  
"So what did Meilin have to say?" he asked.  
  
"There's an island by our ancestral home," Li explained. "She says there are a lot of strange things going on there. She says our clansmen are afraid of it."  
  
Kero nodded. "This IS serious, then," he said. "They may not ALL be descendants of Clow Reed, but they're his kin, too. And if they're afraid of whatever's on this island, then you can bet there's a Clow card there."  
  
Li shook his head. "This isn't any of your business, though," he said. "This is family business. These are my people being threatened. I have to get back to Hong Kong immediately."  
  
Sakura and Madison exchanged a glance as Kero said, "If it was none of our business, then why did you come here? Why not just leave?"  
  
Li glared at him for a moment, then looked down at the floor, grumbling, "I need your help getting there."  
  
"Well," Sakura said. "I think we have just the help you're looking for. That Kodachi girl offered us use of her private jet in exchange for the video."  
  
"Let's take a look at this video," Kero said, brow wrinkled in thought.  
  
Madison jumped up and hooked the camera to Sakura's television. She replayed the entire conversation between the Chinese girl and her friends. Kero listened intently, watching the tape all the way through. Then, he had Madison rewind it, and took a look at each of the girls in turn.  
  
"Well, they're talking about magick," Kero said. "And that short-haired girl has a computer that can sense it. She'd be a valuable ally for finding the rest of the Clow cards. But I wonder why they're looking for this one."  
  
"That other girl is a Shinto priestess," Li observed. "She uses a lot of magick. You can tell by her moves." He narrowed his eyes. "Zhu Shu. That name sounds familiar."  
  
"Kid, you took the words right out of my mouth," Kero admitted. "It's right at the tip of my tongue, but I can't remember it."  
  
"So what would a movie star, an athlete, a Shinto priestess, and a genius with a magickal computer want in Hong Kong?" Sakura wondered aloud.  
  
"I don't know, Sakura," Kero said, looking very serious. "But I think you should call your new friend and get us to Hong Kong right away. If Zhu Shu is a Clow card, we need to stop her from getting to whatever Clow card is terrorizing the Li clan."  
  
Li looked down at the Li clan seal, fighting the tears that threatened to well up. When he had come to Japan to hunt the Clow cards, he had thought they would stay in Japan. Now, they were in HIS house, and he was mad.  
  
Madison picked up the phone and dialed the number on the Black Rose's business card. The others observed as she waited a moment.  
  
"Hello, Miss Kuno? Yes, we met earlier. I have some video footage you wanted.? Well, when does our flight leave? We'll give it to you when we get on the plane."  
  
  
  
***Will Meilin find out on her own what has invaded the misty island? Will Jackie ever get over Jade hating him? Will the Scouts honor their promise to Zhu Shu? Will Kodachi get to her first? Will Uncle ever make sense? Sign on for the next chapter of.  
  
CURSE OF THE BANSHEE  
  
And just what is this curse, anyway??? 


	2. Strands of the Web

***Juuban Ward, the next morning***  
  
Rei woke up with a start, trying to put her finger on what had woken her so abruptly. She rose and ran all over the shrine and dojo, trying to find the source of her stress. It wasn't until she had explored every inch of her shadowy home that she realized what the problem was.  
  
Zhu Shu was gone.  
  
Zhu Shu would be on her way to China by now with the Saotomes, the Tendos, and a whole entourage of Zhu Shu's other friends that Rei knew very little. She knew Ranma and Akane well enough, but had only gotten to know the other Tendos over the past few days. She missed Akane and Kasumi, who had been so kind to her in her recent confusion. But she felt lonely without Zhu Shu.  
  
Over the past few days, she had been forced to re-examine her entire view on relationships. Not only did Zhu Shu like girls, but she was a better and more courteous date than any boy she had ever known. The fact that Zhu Shu was very beautiful did nothing to make her apprehensions any easier.  
  
Rei had hoped that with Zhu Shu gone, she would have an opportunity to think about her feelings toward her trusted friend and mentor. She would have a chance to really think about what she wanted, and decide whether she loved Zhu Shu or not. It really was the perfect opportunity. if she could get over the dark loneliness that she was feeling right now.  
  
Since it was the wee hours of the morning, she didn't want to wake her friends by phoning them, and she didn't think any of her friends would understand anyway. In fact, she was worried that despite the respect they offered Zhu Shu, they would laugh if she so much as hinted at her interest. That was the worst part - the only people she had been able to confide in were Kasumi and Akane, and they were gone, too.  
  
Knowing she would be unable to sleep any more tonight, she slipped into some sweats and a pair of comfortable shoes. Grabbing her transformation pen and some yen, she stepped outside into the starry night and looked out over the Juuban Ward.  
  
She had no reaction to the two ravens sitting atop the entrance to the shrine as she breathed in the night air. This almost served to offend the two birds, and they cawed loudly in protest.  
  
"I see you guys," Rei smiled up at the two birds. "Phobos, Deimos, would you like to go for a walk?"  
  
She descended the stairs that lead to the street, the birds following like the two faithful servants they were. She walked aimlessly, not caring where she wound up, since she was so well-equipped. She let her body worry about the physical while she turned her mind inward, toward her soul.  
  
So much had happened the past few days, and she didn't know where to begin analyzing it. Monday, she had held Zhu Shu's corpse in her arms, only to have it reanimated by two mysterious strangers. Tuesday, she had made some new friends, hoping to sort out her feelings, only to learn a new, very powerful threat lurked on the horizon. Now, Zhu Shu was possibly heading into that threat alone, which in itself did not sit well with the Shinto priestess.  
  
When Rei realized this was part of her apprehension, she stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
"Whether I love her or not," she whispered, "I may never get to tell her!" And then, "Since I WANT to tell her, I must love her. Right?" She demanded this last of the two birds, who didn't really have much in the way of confirmation or denial.  
  
She looked around, realizing suddenly that she was lost. Surrounding her were huge suburban homes similar to Serena's, but a check of the street sign told her she was not in Juuban anymore. She knew Juuban like the back of her hand, and THAT street wasn't in it.  
  
"Where have you stupid birds led me?" she asked, wandering further in the same direction, looking for some kind of sign.  
  
Suddenly, the birds started shrieking at the sky. At the same moment, something in Rei's mind sent a shock through her whole body, and she froze. Looking up, she saw a very strange sight.  
  
Someone was flying. More, they were flying on a stick with wings! Two someones, a closer inspection revealed. And one of them didn't look too happy about the whole thing. They were going at top speed, and Rei wondered if they were trying to catch something. or.  
  
With a feeling of dread creeping from the pit of her stomach to the top of her throat, Rei turned to look behind her.  
  
There was nothing but an empty street. Rei sighed in relief and turned to continue her walk.  
  
.and walked right into the bosom of a very tall woman with red hair flowing down her back and piercing eyes of dark brown. She was dressed in a kimono and holding several slips of parchment. Rei's eyes widened for two reasons - first, those parchments were charms; and second, this woman had an aura nearly as powerful as Zhu Shu's!  
  
"Well, well," the woman said, helping Rei steady herself. "I was hoping I would find you."  
  
Rei's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Excuse me?" she asked, incredulously.  
  
"Oh, come now, Hino Rei," the mysterious lady laughed. "You know what I am, just as I know what you are. There are far more important things for us to discuss before your quest begins. Let us not tarry by involving ourselves in false airs."  
  
"Who are you?" Rei asked in astonishment. There were many obvious answers to that question - a powerful mage; a Shinto priestess; a moon goddess, cool and warming all at once.  
  
"In some ways, I am all of those things," the woman said, as though Rei had spoken aloud. "But to make it easier, please call me Mizuni. Mizuni Kaho." She bowed reverently, as though to a superior in rank, and Rei's jaw dropped.  
  
"Why are you bowing to me?!!?" she couldn't help but asking. "I am not remotely your equal!"  
  
"Come, walk with me," Kaho said, smiling warmly. "We have much to discuss, and little time."  
  
In shock and awe, Rei followed her. The woman felt too - good - not to follow her orders. Moreover, there was a scent of cherry blossoms in the air surrounding her that made Rei feel extremely at ease.  
  
"Do I know you?" she asked the older priestess.  
  
"You did, once," Kaho replied. "What do you remember?"  
  
"I - uh." Rei began, unsure whether or not to tell her.  
  
"Never mind, I will tell you," Kaho sighed. "But I wish you would trust me. This is important. You remember a kingdom, a Princess on the Moon, to whom you were a guardian. You remember an ally, with whom you had a close alliance. You mistook that ally for another, and nearly broke your best friend's heart, even if you refuse to admit you love her."  
  
"So I DO love Zhu Shu?" Rei breathed.  
  
Kaho laughed, a merry, tinkling sound.  
  
"No, dear, the Princess,"  
  
Rei wrinkled her brow. The Princess was Serena. did she mean Darien?  
  
"That is not the name I know him by, but yes, that is who I meant," Kaho confirmed.  
  
"Would you please warn me when you are reading my mind?" Rei asked. "It's a bit. weird."  
  
"My apologies," the woman said, bowing her head demurely. "I meant only to expedite this." She looked at Rei, meeting her eyes. "We are allies, and we once united to fight a great evil. Together, many of us created weapons of great power, capable of vanquishing our enemies. Among these was a crystal, the Ginzuishou, which you recently reclaimed. Currently, the weapon I helped create is being gathered, so that someday, when we are again needed, we can defend the Earth - and the Crystal Kingdom."  
  
"The Crystal Kingdom?" Rei asked, confused. "And the Ginzuishou?"  
  
Kaho gasped. "Have I reached you too early? Surely not; I felt the Ginzuishou's energy harnessed by its rightful owner, Princess Serena. That means the Scouts have arisen, right?"  
  
"I know what the Ginzuishou is, I just want to know how you know about it!" Rei cried suspiciously. "And what on Earth is the Crystal Kingdom?"  
  
"Ah, it is not time for that yet," Kaho nodded. "Trust me, when it is time for you to know of the Crystal Kingdom, it will drop right in your lap - or perhaps on your head. As for the Ginzuishou, I helped create it."  
  
"No way!" Rei protested. "I don't believe you."  
  
Kaho shrugged. "It is true. A bit more explanation may be in order here. I have a very specific mission for you, but you have to trust me in order to do it."  
  
"I'd say a bit more explanation is in order," Rei fumed. "How do I know you're not from the Negaverse?"  
  
Kaho shot her a hard glance.  
  
"Many reasons," she said sharply. "Not in the least of which is - if I had been, you would be dead. You've faced the Negaverse, so you know it; once, I faced them alongside you."  
  
"Okay, I don't understand. Explain,"  
  
"When Queen Beryl overtook the Earth, only two empires stood against her - that of Prince Endyomon, and that of the Song Dynasty," Kaho explained.  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Rei asked again, awed.  
  
"Because during the reign of the Song Dynasty, Empress Lin Tzu ruled what is now Hong Kong," the elder priestess explained. "There was an island there, upon which she established a mages' school. The most promising mages in the land gathered at this school and literally made it a magickal forum.  
  
"When Queen Beryl attacked, Song Lin Tzu called upon the mages to create weapons to aid her and her allies in defeating the evil Queen. Mages from all three kingdoms gathered to help in this task. They created the Ginzuishou, as well as a deck of very powerful magickal cards. When the war was over, the three allies agreed that these weapons should not be available for the unscrupulous to use. They placed the Ginzuishou in the hands of two representatives - Prince Endyomon and Princess Serena. They placed the cards in the hands of two guardians as well. I am one of those guardians."  
  
"Who is the other?" Rei asked, stunned by this woman's off-handed knowledge of the Silver Millennium, the Song Dynasty, and Darien's true identity.  
  
"You will meet him shortly," Kaho replied. "However, know this - I was chosen to guard them, not to wield them. When the time was right, the true wielder of the cards would appear and subdue them. Then, later, history would repeat itself, and you would need to align with the bearer of the cards once again."  
  
"What does this have to do with me?"  
  
"Not all the cards have yet been captured," the priestess explained. "And yet, a great threat has arisen, and the Three Kingdoms must align again. When this happens, the Bearer will be in more danger than they have ever known. And I must ask that you guard them, or all the cards will never be captured."  
  
"What do you mean, them? I thought there was only one Bearer,"  
  
"Well, there is a complication," Kaho looked down at her feet. "We know who the Bearer is, but that person must NOT know until it is time. And the time has not yet come. This, unfortunately, must be tended to first."  
  
Rei nodded. "I see. You don't want me to let something slip to the real Bearer. But why me?"  
  
Mizuni Kaho stopped and faced the teenaged girl. She had a very serious look in her eyes, as though she was hesitant to mention this, but finally, she said, "I was chosen as one of the cards' guardians because my ancestry put me in a position to be of unique concern to the cards. My father was from the Moon Kingdom, a warrior who helped you and the other Scouts defend it during the war. My mother, however, was sister to the mage that created the magickal cards. And she was also a servant to the Empress. I remember you, at least in spirit, Sailor Mars."  
  
With a jolt, Rei looked at Kaho. However, it was not the priestess she saw, but a vision from a long time ago. a vision of herself with Zhu Shu; she bowing to the Chinese empress. Words echoed through her mind, words of a conversation held not long ago, that confirmed this vision to be truth.  
  
"You mean, I really DID know Zhu Shu in a past life?"  
  
Kaho nodded. "Song Lin Tzu was the fan that fueled the flame of Mars. Yes, you knew her, and you loved her."  
  
"I did? How?"  
  
Kaho smiled. "The past is in the past, Hino Rei. I know few of the details you seek of that time, but your devotion to the Empress was renowned. I can not dictate how you feel now, that is for your own heart."  
  
"Can you help me? I'm so confused!" Rei cried out in frustration, collapsing into the woman's arms. She couldn't explain it, but she KNEW Kaho was telling the truth. There was something about Kaho's presence that brought that comfort, as though this shoulder had been cried on by her many, many times; as though the arms that encircled her now had always been there.  
  
"Funny, how the circle turns," Kaho chuckled. "All I can tell you is that to seek your truth, you must first seek that which is most important to you. I can not be there, but I will be here when you return. Rei - " Kaho gently turned Rei's eyes to meet hers. "The Card Captors are in danger. So are the Scouts, as well as every user of magick on this planet. I know you made a promise to your Empress, but I must ask you to break it - for her safety, and for the world's. I, too, serve the Song, and I would not ask you to do this if it were not important."  
  
Rei sighed. "What you're asking is hard for me. But if it will help Zhu Shu, I can not say no."  
  
Kaho smiled. "Good. Here's what I need you to do."  
  
  
  
"We've GOT to go to Hong Kong, no matter WHAT Zhu Shu said," Serena's voice was laced with desperation as she pleaded with the other Scouts.  
  
Despite Serena's other faults, there was one thing about Serena's room that never failed to shock the other Scouts - somehow it was always clean. Sure, there were manga piled high in a corner, and Serena's secret stash of junk food made the room smell really strange, but the only other indication the room was lived in was the never-made bed. It was also the one thing Rei did not pick on her for, since Rei was Serena's diametric opposite, with a room so messy the girls often avoided it altogether in favor of Rei's guest bedroom.  
  
Rei sat secluded in a corner, morose silence clouding her mood. She said nothing, only listened to what the other Scouts were saying.  
  
"No way, Serena," Lita crossed her arms and looked away, which was Lita's way of saying the conversation was over. It met with the usual success.  
  
"Yeah, Serena, what's in Hong Kong? Darien?" Mina taunted. Serena blushed; she and Mina were the closest of all of them, and Mina's teasing was not as vicious as Rei's.  
  
"No," Serena said. Then she did something strange. She let a single tear slip from one blue eye. The last time habitual bawler Serena had cried like that - like she MEANT it - was when Darien had been killed. That tear had brought together the Rainbow crystals into the Ginzuishou.  
  
What did this one mean?  
  
"Serena, are you alright?" Ami asked, jumping up to comfort her friend. Rei remained in her cloudy corner-world, but Lita and Mina followed Ami's lead.  
  
"It's my dad," Serena said quietly. "The station gave him a new assignment. He's got to cover this festival - "  
  
"In Hong Kong," Lita finished for her. Serena nodded.  
  
"I didn't want Zhu Shu going there alone any more than the rest of you, and I know we made a promise," Serena said. "But this is different. This is my DAD heading into it. And whether it's the Negaverse or not, I need to protect my family. I mean, Queen Serenity assigned you guys to guard me because I was her daughter, and she had the power to. I, as Sailor Moon, have the power to protect my father, too. And I just can't let him go alone."  
  
"Are you SURE it's not Darien, Serena?" Luna asked. "You don't usually put this much thought into something unless Darien is involved."  
  
Serena stood up and stamped her foot, finally acting herself again. Ami, Lita, and Mina, however, exchanged a glance. No matter what Luna thought, it was obvious to them that Serena was dead serious.  
  
"Darien, for your information, will be here in Tokyo," Serena told the black cat. "He has a summer job at a martial arts camp, and he will be out of reach for two whole weeks! Why don't you believe me?"  
  
"Maybe it's because generally you're shallow, boy-obsessed, and narrow- minded?" Rei suggested, finally speaking up.  
  
"Rei, that was mean!" Serena went right into bawl mode. As Ami went back to comforting her, Lita stood over Rei, her eyes flashing with anger.  
  
"That WAS mean, Rei," she said. "What's been your problem lately? You've been acting so weird."  
  
"I know you've been worried ever since Zhu Shu was - hurt - but she's alright now, and you've GOT to stop worrying!" Ami added.  
  
"I'm sorry, guys," Rei looked down at her feet. "There's just. a lot going on." She looked up and met Serena's eyes. "Please don't die when I tell you this, but I agree. We DO need to go to Hong Kong."  
  
"What?!!?" Even Serena's tears stopped in her shock.  
  
"Rei, you of all people know the importance of the promise you made to Zhu Shu," Artemis scolded. "Why do you want to break it?"  
  
Rei narrowed her eyes. "Didn't you listen to what Serena just said? If we let her father go and walk blindly into danger, what have we learned about being Scouts? About saving the world?"  
  
"Wow, Rei," Serena rose and stood beside her fiery friend. "The only thing you ever do with this much passion is pick on me."  
  
"Well, maybe it's time to believe in something new," Rei said seriously, offering a challenging leer at the other Scouts. "Come on, guys. We know there's something out there, and two people very close to us are heading right to the middle of it. Are we wimps, or are we Scouts?"  
  
The remaining Scouts glanced at one another again. It was Mina who spoke up first.  
  
"This isn't about promises, this is about family - both Zhu Shu AND Mr. Tsukino," she said, striding over to joining Serena and Rei.  
  
"If it's important enough to bring YOU two together, count me in!" Lita added enthusiastically.  
  
All the girls looked at Ami.  
  
"We'd be breaking a promise to one of our closest and dearest friends," she said uncertainly to the other four.  
  
"We might also be saving her life," Rei replied.  
  
"Well, you don't need to convince me," Ami hopped up with a cautious glance at the two cats. "I was ready to go as soon as I found out about Serena's father!"  
  
Luna shook her head.  
  
"I can not let you do this," she said. "If you even TRY to break your promise to Zhu Shu, I will have to contact her."  
  
Artemis shook his head. "I never thought I'd be glad you gave her that pen, but I agree. We can't let you girls go off and face an unknown enemy."  
  
"Well, you didn't seem to have a problem with it when it was Zhu Shu going!" Rei stomped her foot.  
  
The cats exchanged another long glance. Finally, Artemis spoke up.  
  
"Zhu Shu is different," he said. "She's not a Scout."  
  
"Well, she's a Scout to us!" Serena said with finality. She turned and stormed out of the room, leaving the other Scouts to glare at the two cats.  
  
  
  
***Qinxong Li, island of Lan Tao***  
  
Jade had nearly wound up back in New Kowloon before she'd woken up. Fortunately, she'd had enough time to slip off the boat during the long and apparently difficult process of leaving port.  
  
The port town was called Gizjhang, and there were so many children running about doing errands that no one questioned her presence. It helped a lot to have ten years of life in Hong Kong to teach her Chinese; it was simple to pretend she was just a nosy little Chinese girl. The fact that she really was nosy didn't hurt, either.  
  
Thus, she'd found out by mid-afternoon that there were some suspicious goings-on near a small town at the other end of the island. She'd even managed to find a ride with an actual car; with a start, she realized she was too used to America if she expected EVERYONE to have a car. Most of the people on this island seemed to make do with donkeys and carts.  
  
She'd arrived in Qinxong Li by midday, and it was obvious that this was a town afraid. She had no idea where to begin looking for this splinter group, but since Section 13 was concerned, she asked if there were any Americans about. She got numerous answers, mostly telling her that nothing was happening - but not convincingly.  
  
A few people mentioned a red-haired American girl who sometimes came to the market, and Jade filed this away mentally. However, only one would tell her much about this girl, and then only small details.  
  
Finally, she walked into a shop that reminded her a lot of Uncle's - a scattered disarray of antiques with very high price tags, many of them related to Chinese magick. She knew this because Uncle's shop was full of items like this - elaborately-painted vases, great thrones of fine woods, swords, figurines, chalices. The place was in just as much chaos as Uncle's shop as well.  
  
It was because of this that Jade did not notice the very old woman sitting at the even older writing desk at the end of the long rectangular room. As she made her way around the maze of assorted furniture, décor, and weapons, she never felt the two narrowed eyes that followed her every move.  
  
Indeed, for all of her martial arts skill, she did not even notice the old woman until she walked right into her, so well did the crone blend in with the labyrinth of antiques.  
  
"What you doing here, Little Fox?" the crone demanded, pointing at her with a crooked, bony finger.  
  
She was wearing the garb of a Chinese servant - loose-fitting pants, a high- collared shirt called a qipao, black slippers. Her snowy hair was pulled back tightly into a small bun that sat atop her head, held together with a pair of very sharp ornate pins. Jade did not want to feel their sting.  
  
Her sharpened facial features and lithe build, though, were remnants of a society long gone, a society that only the live-in niece of an antiques dealer could tell. Jade's eyes widened in shock.  
  
"Are you Han?" she asked in Chinese. The old woman relaxed her stance, if not her guard, and showed a crooked grin.  
  
"You speak with the accent of the mainland," she observed. "You are Chinese, yes?"  
  
Jade nodded eagerly, hoping this woman would not attack her. She had her doubts even Jackie could beat her.  
  
"I am from the family of Chan," she said, offering what she hoped was a formal bow. The old woman nodded acknowledgement to her, issuing the grin again.  
  
"You are in the ancestral village of the family of Li," she replied. "The blood you see is not Han, but that of Clow Reed."  
  
Jade widened her eyes in feigned awe, but inwardly she was thinking. Who?  
  
"You have not come here to buy," the woman continued. "So what are you looking for?"  
  
"Um. nothing?" Jade tried her most innocent look. "Just window-shopping?"  
  
"Window-shopping," the old woman repeated. "What are you up to, Little Fox?"  
  
"My name is Jade," Jade replied, wrinkling her brow in confusion.  
  
The old woman took a very stubborn stance. "I did not know that. I only see the spirit of the Fox. A fox, interested in Americans."  
  
"How did you know?" Jade asked in awe.  
  
"Simple," the woman replied. "I heard it from the fishmonger."  
  
Jade nodded. The fishmonger had been the only person who would tell her about the American girl with the red hair.  
  
"Well, can you tell me about her?" Jade asked.  
  
"There are no Americans on this island," the old lady snapped.  
  
Jade rolled her eyes. "Of course not."  
  
She turned and headed back on her way through the maze, not seeing the little bird fly over the top of the maze to alight heavily above her, flapping its wings mightily. She suddenly heard the thumping sound of wood upon wood, and looked up to see a tall stack of chairs rocking back and forth. They were banging into an ornate wardrobe beside them, laden with shelves of figurines and vases.  
  
Suddenly, the dresser began to tip, falling toward her and spilling over thousands of years of priceless antiques. A delicate porcelain figure of an ancient empress caught her eye, and she leaped forward to catch it before it hit the floor. Cushioning it like a football, she tumbled out of the way just as the dresser took control of the same space. Sitting on her butt, breathing hard, she looked at the completely undamaged figurine and breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
The old woman stood on the other side of the wreckage, making a tsk-tsk sound with her tongue.  
  
"Big mess," she said, shaking her head. Then she looked at the little girl, who shrank back in fear.  
  
"I didn't do it!" she told the old woman. In her panic, she realized she was speaking English.  
  
""Why you save that one?" the old woman queried back, her English as bad as Uncle's. "Lots of pieces there. Jade, onyx. You save porcelain?"  
  
"This is Empress Lin Tzu of the Song Dynasty!" Jade rose, indignantly. "Pieces from the Song are worth a fortune!"  
  
The old woman grinned. "Little Fox knows much for cub. How you know so much?"  
  
"Are you kidding? If that happened in Uncle's shop, I'd have been grounded for life if I didn't save it!" Jade made a face, remembering one time when thugs from the Dark Hand had come to Uncle's shop, and Uncle had made Jackie catch every piece of pottery in the building rather than risk something's destruction. "You sure don't know much about antiques, either," she added. "Those other pieces were probably made in Taiwan. uh. in a toy factory," she finished, remembering where she was.  
  
"Ha! See? You can never pass one by Li Ying!" the old woman announced triumphantly in Chinese, making a motion suspiciously like she was spiking an American football. Then, she looked at Jade, and pointed again. In English, she said, "You more than what seem. Very smart, very strong. You want American girl? Go see great-niece, daughter of sister's son. She tell you what do."  
  
"Where can I find your great-niece?" Jade asked excitedly. Finally, a lead! And Jackie wasn't even here yet!  
  
"She on beach, each night at sunset," the old woman told her. "Follow sun's path to edge of island. You find there."  
  
Jade was bursting with joy. "Thank you!" she waved, going through the maze at top speed. Suddenly, she stopped, and turned.  
  
"Um, excuse me?" she asked, standing on tip-toe and trying to see through the furniture.  
  
"You keep figurine," the old woman shouted back. "Show to great-niece, so she know you."  
  
"Thanks again!" Jade rushed out the door and spared the afternoon sun a quick glance. It was barely past noon, so she decided to find a way to get some food before heading off to finally find the American girl. It never occurred to her to wonder how Li Ying knew what she'd been about to say before she left.  
  
  
  
Li Ying called her bird to her, and it rested on her finger.  
  
"You're such a little bird," she told it. "But you and I make a great team, don't we?" She turned and set the bird on its perch, then went to a door located behind some file cabinets and a computer whose screen was showing the accounting for the month. She opened the door and smiled into the bathroom beyond its threshold.  
  
"Did you hear that?" she asked. "I have found you a worthy ally to aid in your quest. She is even of our heritage, if not our clan."  
  
Li Meilin stepped out of the water closet, having only used it for temporary concealment. "Yes, Revered Great-Aunt, I heard it all. As for worthy, I'll be the judge of that."  
  
  
  
***Flight 679 to New Kowloon***  
  
Lita sighed.  
  
"This is the life," she said, leaning back in her seat.  
  
"Yeah, Serena," said Ami. "We should travel with your dad more often!"  
  
Rei raised an eyebrow. "By the way, how did your mom suddenly and so conveniently remember that Luna and Artemis needed their shots?"  
  
Serena smiled. "Just lucky, I guess," she said.  
  
"Good thing, too," Mina said. "I almost forgot, and Artemis would have gotten VERY sick without them!  
  
"Well, we're going to a little town south of the mainland, and we're going to stay in their best hotel!" Serena gushed excitedly, evoking oohs and aahs from her friends.  
  
"Have we given any thought to what we're going to do when we get there?" Rei asked in a low tone.  
  
"I'm going to the beach!" Lita announced.  
  
"I'm going shopping," Mina added excitedly.  
  
"I'm going to the spa," Serena said brightly.  
  
"I'm going to analyze the area and see what I can find out about this energy spike," Ami said, knowing exactly what Rei meant.  
  
"What a downer, Rei," Serena glared at her friend. "I was hoping I'd get to enjoy myself."  
  
"Yeah, Rei, you've been acting awfully strange lately," Lita added. "Why is this so important?"  
  
"I. uh," Rei stammered, feeling like a deer in headlights.  
  
"Come on, Rei, spill it," Mina prodded.  
  
Rei sighed. "I hope you understand this," she said. "I can't tell you guys just yet."  
  
"What?" all four girls said in varying states of shock.  
  
"It's not like a secret, or anything like that," Rei laughed nervously. "It's just. I'm still trying to work it out for myself. When I'm ready, you guys will be the first to know about it, okay?"  
  
"Why aren't you ready now?" Serena demanded, much to the chagrin of Ami and Mina. Lita, however, was giving Rei the same inquisitive look.  
  
"Because it's complicated, guys," Rei emphasized. "Just, trust me. I am always a part of the team. I just. there's something else I need to do."  
  
"I bet it's about a boy," Lita retorted.  
  
The entire rest of the flight consisted of speculation between Lita and Serena about Rei's "secret mission." It was only paused temporarily for the in-flight meal, which was devoured if not enjoyed by these two, which came as little surprise to anyone else.  
  
* * * * *  
  
***Gizjhang, Lan Tao port town***  
  
Rich Americans were more common on the mainland, but no one questioned their presence. The mid-afternoon sun was shining brightly overhead as they made their way through the market, ignoring the various kiosks and carts; no one questioned that, either. In fact, most Americans appearing in this area, rich or not, did not usually buy anything, so the locals thought nothing of the presence of the four well-dressed, if disheveled, American men.  
  
"I just want to find a sushi joint and have some lunch! Can't we, boss?" This from the gangly carrot-topped greaser, a reject from some disco movie, some day gone by.  
  
"Yeah," the really huge one said. He looked a lot like Frankenstein would if he were a real person - very tall, bulky, like an ox in a business suit. "We haven't eaten since we got the Talismans, and I'm hungry!"  
  
"We need to maintain a low profile for a few days," came the clipped British reply. "We are obviously not Chinese, so we need to be cautious, in case Section 13 is around."  
  
"Low profile? Who cares?" asked the last of this party, a small, skinny man who actually was Chinese. As if to illustrate his point, he reached out and took an apple from a cart they were passing.  
  
The British man in the green suit whipped around, his long white ponytail spinning with him. He put out his hand, and, in a flash, his friend dropped the apple and recoiled in pain. The merchant who'd begun to give chase ducked back behind his cart, willing to overlook the slight in order to prevent trouble with the formidable Englishman.  
  
"Why'd you do that, Big V? It hurt!" he cried in surprise.  
  
"We need to act like we are not international criminals, Chow," Big V, which stood for Valmont, hissed back, his eyes narrowing.  
  
"But, boss," the ox scratched his head. "Aren't we."  
  
"No, Ratso, not today," Valmont's tone indicated he was losing patience. "We've enjoyed some degree of anonymity thus far. It would be foolish to risk it until we are secure." As a wistful afterthought, he added, "I wish we had the Dark Hand ninjas. It wouldn't hurt to get out of San Francisco."  
  
"Well, if we're not going to be international criminals, what are we going to do?" asked the skinny disco fan.  
  
"That's simple, Finn," Valmont replied. "We look for a hotel, then we lay low and think of a way to get back at that goody-goody, Chan."  
  
"Are we going to get food?" Ratso asked.  
  
Valmont just rolled his eyes, glad he was in the lead. It was no wonder these three had failed in every attempt to get Chan that they had made thus far. To top it off, Valmont was NOT happy about losing Tohru, who was one of his best agents.  
  
However, a good criminal mastermind kept even his dumbest agents happy, and it wasn't long before Valmont had the four of them lodged and dining. Granted, this place was no Marriott, but more like an inn from an old kung- fu movie; that was alright.  
  
"So why don't we just use the Talismans to kill Chan?" Finn asked as he slurped on some kind of brothy soup.  
  
"Even when we had all twelve of them, he still eluded us," Valmont chewed thoughtfully at his food. "No, we need to get a manhunt going. I suppose we'll have to contact other criminal organizations, but I hate to do that. The competition is so tedious."  
  
"How do we do that, boss?" Ratso asked.  
  
.and moments later, a dart separated his food from his chopsticks. Ratso could only gaze, dumbfounded, at the empty utensils, but the others jumped up, on high alert, and ran for cover.  
  
It did no good, as a group of ninjas stormed the room through the window. Quickly, all four Dark Hand operatives were subdued by the lightning-fast chops and kicks of these men; it all went by in such a blur that they would spend years speculating on exactly what had happened. They were all down on the floor, but the ninjas' eyes were only on Valmont.  
  
The apparent leader of the black-clad warriors bowed to Valmont, presented him with a card. Then, as suddenly as they had all appeared, they were all gone. The four Americans could only look on, shocked.  
  
When they could find their voices, Valmont's three henchmen all simultaneously asked about the card. By the time this happened, though, Valmont had already memorized its contents, so great was his shock.  
  
I HAVE BEEN OBSERVING YOUR RECENT EXPLOITS, AND WISH TO MEET WITH YOU WHILE YOU'RE IN HONG KONG. PLEASE MAKE YOURSELVES AVAILABLE AT THE SIXTH PIER TOMORROW AT NOON. AN ESCORT WILL MEET YOU.  
  
XIAN CHI  
  
"Gentlemen, I think we have found our hunters," he laughed. Oh yes, they will definitely be hunting, and the prey is Chan.  
  
* * * * *  
  
***New Kowloon, Hong Kong***  
  
"So tell me again about this splinter group?"  
  
Jackie was aghast by what he'd heard thus far, and this was the third time he was making Black repeat it. He shifted in his seat, watching the buildings on the route to the airport flash by.  
  
"They're known as Section Three," he replied, sighing. "They're an organization like ours. They study paranormal artifacts. If we still had them, they'd get the Talismans. Remember that movie about the guy with the hat and the whip, the archaeologist? All the loot he found would have gotten to Section Three eventually. But they're funded privately. They're just regulated by the government."  
  
"And they disappeared?"  
  
"Almost all of them," Black replied. "All of the key researchers, all the data, even a few of the test subjects."  
  
Jackie couldn't imagine it. America was such a great country! Even in parts of Hong Kong, despite its industry and trade, people did not know luxuries so common in America as television, automobiles, and CD players. Just north, in China, basic freedoms, like free speech and religion, were denied. In all of Jackie's travels, he had never seen a country with as much liberty and luxury as America. Why would anyone want to desert it like that?  
  
"So why is this Section Thirteen's job, again?"  
  
"Because we're the only ones equipped to fight them, if they cause trouble," Black said somberly. "And even that is not definite."  
  
"That's because weapons can't defeat magick," Uncle spat, agitated.  
  
"I know that, Uncle," Black nodded, trying to maintain his calm in the face of the little man. "That's why you're here."  
  
"And what if they do have this superweapon you're talking about?" Jackie asked. This was the part that made his stomach twist.  
  
"Then we may be looking at total global devastation,"  
  
"What is this superweapon? Very secret," Uncle leaned forward intently.  
  
Black sighed. "I haven't been evasive. I just only have a code name: Banshee."  
  
"Banshee. Screaming. That doesn't sound too bad," Jackie laughed.  
  
"No one back home is laughing," Black said gloomily. "They wanted us in Lan Tao within twenty-four hours."  
  
Jackie gazed out the window. "I don't know how I got talked into this."  
  
"Because, Jackie," Uncle said cheerily. "A hero's work is never done!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
***Kuno Enterprises private jet***  
  
Kodachi sighed in the darkness. On the huge viewing screen before her, the video was playing for what seemed like the eighty-seventh time, and she was not going to sit and watch it again, despite what the others wanted to do. She really wasn't.  
  
She was almost sorry to have to share the luxurious jet with these brats. In addition to the screen, the plush seats were comfortable, with plenty of room to lay back and even sleep comfortably. There was a four-star chef in a small kitchenette preparing gourmet food; a full-scale vanity housed a professional make-up consultant; and there was even a small gym for the Kuno twins to practice their moves.  
  
The little boy, Li, was stuffing his face, but also keenly observing everything she did. Madison was a little know-it-all who had something to say about every little thing the hag and her friends said. Sakura was the strangest of the three; she would take some pudding from the spread the chef had set out for them, and slip it into her knapsack. Kodachi shook her head.  
  
Children.  
  
"Well, they're obviously mages of some kind," Madison was telling them. "They detected, through their little computer, that there was some kind of magick at work in Hong Kong. They know what they're looking for."  
  
"Yeah, but what interest could they possibly have in the Clow Cards?" Sakura demanded.  
  
Madison shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted.  
  
"Maybe it's not the Clow Cards they want," Li said between munching. "Qinxong Li, my ancestral home, was once the home of the Imperial mages. Their families remained there. So did many magickal secrets. They could be after just about anything."  
  
"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "In my dream, the faceless ones are not after the Cards, but Meilin." She turned to see the look of dismay on Li's face. "Oops," she added weakly.  
  
"No," Li shook his head. "Your dream reminds us all what the stakes are."  
  
"Gee, Shaoron," Madison giggled. "Do I detect some worry for Meilin in there?"  
  
"Yeah," Sakura added. "You sure seem - concerned - for someone you think is annoying!"  
  
Li shrugged. "She IS my cousin, you know."  
  
Kodachi felt the urge to break in, before this rather interesting tidbit was lost amongst elementary-school babbling. She knew the little one, Sakura, knew some kind of magick, but she wanted to know more about this premonition.  
  
"What happened in your dream?" she asked, trying to sound polite.  
  
"Our friend, Meilin, was attacked by these faceless warriors," Sakura replied, remembering with a shudder. "They're expert fighters, and even though she is, too, she's no match for them. But they won't back down, and neither will she.  
  
"Then, someone screams. and Meilin disintegrates to dust."  
  
Sakura turned her face away with a shudder as she looked back out the window toward the sun, which hung perpetually over the ocean as though time had stood still. Kodachi though about this for a minute, saying nothing. She really wasn't sure whether to take the little girl seriously or not.  
  
"Can you tell me anything about my future?" she asked finally.  
  
"Sakura's powers are not a joke, or a parlor trick," Li protested. "There are things out there that you don't understand."  
  
"I might understand them better than you think!" Kodachi snapped back. "I'm helping you because I am after a Chinese witch! She has put an enchantment on my beloved, and I must defeat her to win my beloved back!"  
  
She hadn't meant to reveal her reasons for traveling so far away, but it had a profound effect. The girls' eyes widened and were suddenly filled with stars.  
  
"Just like a fairy tale!" Madison exclaimed.  
  
"Like a soap opera," Sakura added.  
  
"Like hell," Li grumbled and turned away. To Kodachi he added, "I appreciate your help and all, but that doesn't mean I have to trust you, or your motives."  
  
"That's quite alright," Kodachi said.  
  
Mentally, she added, It doesn't matter anyway. Once you show me where I'm going, I'm done with you, and you can swim home for all I care.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jade spotted Li Ying's great-niece right away, but waited a moment before going in to soak in the beauty of her quarry's favorite spot. She was standing on a crest of hills that provided both a gorgeous view of the ocean and shelter for the town from the winds of the South China Sea. The town was set in a basin, flourishing in the saturated land the hills provided for them. From her high perch, Jade could see farms, homes, and even the town square.  
  
In fact, she could see the next town, up the coast; a plane was landing somewhere over there, and the bright lights had a more modern look than the traditional setting she was now in. With a few exceptions, Qinxong Li was like traveling back through time.  
  
Jade sighed. "Oh, well," she said to herself. "May as well get this over with."  
  
She walked south along the hills, carefully, since it looked like the girl she was seeking was praying, or meditating. The other girl looked no older than Jade was, with long black hair fixed in pigtails that were topped with the bun-like odangos that were popular all over China and Japan. She was wearing a long white and red cheongsam, the traditional Mandarin dress, similar in appearance to her great-aunt's shirt, but longer. It had gold trim and slits up the sides, which allowed the wearer freedom of movement for kicks and jumps. The ends of the long angel-cut sleeves were trimmed with a single bell each.  
  
Oh, no, thought Jade. She's a fighter, too.  
  
"Um. excuse me?" she said aloud, in Chinese.  
  
When the girl turned, Jade took a step back. It wasn't so much the fighting stance - Jade took a defensive stance, ready for an attack. It also wasn't the yin-yang symbol that decorated the front of her adversary's dress. It was the fire in the young girl's eyes, a seemingly tangible force that in itself knocked her a few steps back.  
  
  
  
Meilin had been waiting for this Chinese-American girl to show up for several hours. She had prepared for it in many ways - she had gone to the family shrine and consulted the elders; she had taken the ritual bath of herbs and flower pedals; she had gathered her strength through meditation. She had every intention of testing this American girl before giving her a chance. After all, this was Li business, not to be meddled in by others.  
  
She sized the girl up, all the while trying to appear as imposing as she could. Chinese as her heritage might be, the American girl was slovenly - a sweatshirt zipped up over a tee-shirt, jeans, sneakers - not fighting clothes at all. Outside of that, she looked like a boy, with short hair cut in a bob just above her shoulders. Her stance was a good one, though; a defensive stance known only by upper-level warriors. How could this sloppy little American girl know a stance like that?  
  
"Who are you?" Meilin demanded.  
  
Jade gulped. "I'm. uh. Jade," she replied. "An old lady told me to come here and find her niece. Are you her niece?"  
  
Meilin's face never changed, and she evenly replied, "I may be. I am Meilin. What is your business here in my village?"  
  
Jade wasn't sure how to explain that one. "I'm looking for a red-haired American girl," she tried.  
  
"Why do you seek her?"  
  
"Because she might know about some other people I'm looking for," Jade said, relaxing her stance a little. The other girl did not relax hers one iota.  
  
"These people are a threat to my village," Meilin spat. "What's your connection to them?"  
  
"I work for people who are trying to stop them," Jade replied, sounding a bit desperate. This was NOT going well. "Will you help me?"  
  
"That depends - are you a worthy warrior?" Meilin said. and snapped right into a flying kick, aimed right for Jade's face.  
  
Jade leaped back, flipping into the air and landing in the first stance she had taken. Meilin also landed, and tried a roundhouse that Jade was able to duck. barely. She could feel as her hair was moved by the force of the kick and felt her stomach jump into her throat.  
  
This girl is good. she thought. Maybe better than me.  
  
She threw a punch in Meilin's direction, not very surprised when it got blocked and pushed out of the way. Meilin made a punch of her own, which Jade blocked, leaving her barely enough time to spin away from Meilin's kick.  
  
Facing off again, Jade decided it was time to take the offensive. She unleashed a flurry of kick that was both graceful and sharp; Meilin blocked them with determination, thinking perhaps this Jade girl was a worthy fighter after all. She was certainly well-trained.  
  
Meilin grabbed a hold of Jade's ankle and flipped her back, but the cat- like American girl landed on her feet, crouching like a tiger about to pounce. Meilin decided not to waste any time and leaped herself; her anticipation of Jade's move proved correct and the two clashed in mid-air like a pair of fighting hawks.  
  
To the shock of both, their feet touched in mid-kick, and resulted in no more than both girls using one another as springboards for a landing. Their feet had barely touched the ground when they were up again, each leaping toward the other one, this time with a flurry of punches. Finally, Meilin managed to grab a hold of Jade's wrist, and used both it and the leverage of Jade's thrust to flip the girl again. Jade landed face-first, rolling out of the way before Meilin had a chance to drop-kick her head. She rose in time to see the crater Meilin's kick had made, where her head had previously been.  
  
Meilin pulled her foot out of its self-made hole and fell into stance again. Jade jumped toward her and cried out, "The hand is quicker than the eye!"  
  
Meilin suddenly found herself dizzied by a kaleidoscope of punches, and trying to block them all was a tiring task. It wasn't until an impact with the force and feel of a brick hit her chin that she realized her mistake, even as Jade was saying it.  
  
"But you weren't watching my foot!" the American fighter jumped back triumphantly.  
  
Meilin could hear Jade's panting, even through her own, and her blinding pain. She rose and reached one hand up to her warm, moist lip, noting that the hand came back with blood. Taking her stance, she met Jade's eye.  
  
"Im. Impressive," she said as she gasped for air. "You. drew. first blood."  
  
"Then. did I pass?" Jade asked, through labored breathing.  
  
"No," Meilin said, the look back in her eyes. "We've only just begun."  
  
And, to Jade's horror, Meilin leaped at her again. 


	3. Jackie Chan - Trouble with Girls

Author's Note: Sailor Moon and Card Captor fans might be a bit disappointed; this is mostly a Jackie Chan chapter. However, I hope you enjoy it anyway. It kind of evolved, and it IS relevant. Also, next chapter will feature notes about the Ratso/Finn controversy, which has been brought to my attention a few times (not just Chris, but thanks to him or her for mentioning it, you prompted some extra and interesting JCA research that spawned this chapter.). So far, I maintain that I have them right because the website says so, and I never really figured it out from the show, and there will be more on this next chapter. However, since it's been mentioned quite a few times, and I am a stickler for perfection, I'm looking into it and will make changes later, if necessary.  
  
Also, new chapters of my other two original novels will be up soon, I promise. I know, I've been taking a while, I'm not going to leave y'all hanging!  
  
Anyway, thanks to all of you for reading! Enjoy.  
  
  
  
***Gizjhang, Lan Tao***  
  
They had barely made it off the boat and into town when Black's cellphone rang. Neither Jackie nor Uncle paid much attention to the conversation, but it was just a series of grunts anyway. They were paying more attention to the lights of New Kowloon and Victoria across the bay, grounded stars over an inky black sea.  
  
The port town was rather quiet, the only sounds coming from a few taverns down the docks. Stray animals ran around the all-but-deserted boathouse, and tired workers impatiently awaited the departure of this last ship of the evening. The sun had set more than an hour ago, and the dark waters were difficult for the small boats to navigate at night.  
  
"We've got trouble," Black said, done with the phone.  
  
"What's the matter?" Jackie asked, a feeling of dread increasing its vice- grip on his gut.  
  
"Jade is missing,"  
  
"How did I know you were going to say that," Jackie replied grimly.  
  
"Finding Jade not hard," Uncle announced. "Find trouble first. Jade will follow."  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of," Jackie said. "What if she's in some kind of trouble now? What if she's been kidnapped or attacked - " Jackie could have gone on with a million different demises, but Black cut him off.  
  
"We have a team of agents on it already," he said. "There's really nothing we can do from here, and we've got a mission to carry out."  
  
Something snapped inside Jackie at that moment, something born of these gruesome images that were running through his head. It flooded his body with a white heat, clouded his vision with rage.  
  
"No, Black," he retorted. "YOU have a mission. I don't work for Section Thirteen. I'm an archaeologist, and an uncle, and I have responsibilities. My niece is in trouble. I HAVE to find her."  
  
"Well, with the Shadowkhan in circulation, I'd be more worried about her being in their hands," Black replied evenly, his voice a menacing monotone. "And if our intelligence is correct, they're probably headed for what we're looking for."  
  
"Jade is, too," Uncle said. "Listen to Uncle. Jade eager to help. Jade ALWAYS eager to help, no matter what."  
  
"You think she might have found her way here?" Jackie asked him, only half surprised.  
  
"That sounds like Jade," Black shook his head. "If only she weren't eleven." he chuckled.  
  
"Good," Jackie grabbed his hiking pack and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm going to go find Jade."  
  
Suddenly Black was in front of him, blocking his path.  
  
"I can't let you do that, Jackie," he said. "I need you here."  
  
"I have responsibilities, Agent Black," Jackie said, in a tone that brooked no argument. "I can't run around playing James Bond anymore."  
  
"Jac-KIE!"  
  
It was the one thing that could really stop Jackie on command. He turned to face Uncle, bracing himself for a very strict admonition.  
  
"What did I say about lying, hm?" Uncle demanded, one finger up, his face stern. "Head see, heart soar - "  
  
"My HEAD is going to soar if Jade gets hurt, or even." He trailed off at Uncle's stern stance.  
  
When he was satisfied that Jackie was sufficiently cowed, he continued, "Jackie stop lying. Stay with Uncle. Stay with Black. Path to mission includes Jade."  
  
"Look, Jackie," Black said, holding up his hands in resignation. "I know you're worried about Jade. I am too. That little girl is one of the most talented, brightest kids I know. Even if she's with the Dark Hand, how many times has she escaped from them before?"  
  
Jackie looked from one to the other, his chest heaving with the effort of his anger. A million conflicting thoughts ran through his mind: that they were right, that Jade was still in trouble, that something had to be done. Rooted to the spot by his frustration, he could feel it welling inside him like a volcano about to burst. Which way to turn? What to do?  
  
Jade, he thought to himself. When I find you, I'm going to spank you so hard.  
  
Finally, he said, "I'm going on ahead. I want to find Jade. I'll double back for you."  
  
"But, Jackie, we need to meet with our contact in a couple of hours!" Black called after him.  
  
"Fine," Jackie called back. "Get a hotel. I'll meet you."  
  
"You don't even know - " Black called once more, but sighed as Jackie turned a corner and disappeared out of sight. "Where to go," he finished lamely, looking at Uncle.  
  
"I guess it's you and me, old man," he told the skinny Chinese antiquitor.  
  
Uncle shook his head. "Jackie should know better," he said. "Always listen to Uncle."  
  
Picking up his own luggage, Black turned to the old man. "We have to go to a dive called The Mandarin. It's run by a contact of ours, known only as Hairspray. She should have some equipment for us."  
  
"Bla-ack," Uncle said, holding up that one pointer finger that seemed to be the source of all his wisdom. When Black looked, he began, "Only magick can - "  
  
"I know," Black replied, heading down the docks toward all the noise. "However, this equipment can FIND magick."  
  
Starting after him, a small satchel of his own over his shoulder, Uncle asked, "Find magick?"  
  
Black nodded as the old man caught up. "The last studies Section Three published, about five years ago, were about how magick runs on electromagnetic frequencies, very subtle ones. The equipment is a bunch of sensors made from the original Section Three prototype. Like metal detectors, except these are magick detectors."  
  
Uncle shook his head. "Only magick can find magick," he said. "Machines don't have magick. Machines don't have life. Magick needs life to sustain."  
  
"You mean magick is deadly?" Black asked, cocking his head to one side. He knew he'd had a good reason to bring this irritating old diddy along.  
  
"No, no, no," Uncle shook his head. "Better way to say - magick needs NATURE to sustain. Plants, trees, people, all live and breathe. Metals, too. But as you uproot tree from earth, so it dies. Is same if mine metal and make machine."  
  
"Well, do you have any better ideas?" Black stopped in his tracks and turned to Uncle.  
  
Uncle grinned widely. "Remember, only magick - "  
  
"I got it! Now what do you have in mind?" Black asked, his exasperation beginning to break through his normally-calm demeanor.  
  
"Small village, on other end of island," Uncle said. "Legend says is all mages. Formed by legendary Chinese Empress, Song Lin Tzu."  
  
"I don't have time for legends - "  
  
"Not so legendary," Uncle pointed to a poster that dominated the door of one of the warehouses they'd passed. It was all in the characters of the local dialect, but had pictures of acrobats, Chinese dragons, and twirlers, all overseen by a feminine figure in a Chinese mask. Black took it all in, then turned back to Uncle.  
  
"That's all Chinese to me," he said.  
  
Uncle narrowed his eyes at the remark, muttering "Black night job as comedian. Don't quit day job."  
  
Adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat, he commenced the translation: "'Festival of Crying Goddess. Acrobats, firebreathers, and finest swordsmen in China. Held at Temple of Crying Goddess, Valley of Shrieking Souls.'"  
  
"That sounds like a friendly place," Black observed. "So that's your legendary village?"  
  
"No, one more thing," Uncle said, reading on: "'And join citizens of Qinzong Li in festival honoring Clow Reed.'"  
  
"Okay, you lost me,"  
  
Uncle strode up to the poster, and tore it from the wall. He rolled it up and added it to the contents of his satchel. He turned to Black.  
  
"We meet your friend. I explain on way,"  
  
Black nodded, and they began walking to the noise again. It was getting progressively louder as they got closer; they could hear what sounded like a riot coming from that direction as well.  
  
"Alright," Black said. "Go on. What is all that stuff you just said?"  
  
"Long time ago, Song Dynasty rule China," Uncle explained. "Golden age during reign of Empress Lin Tzu, who was scholar, artist, mage, warrior all at once. Formed school for mages here in Lan Tao, appointed court mage dean. Much Chinese magick made in school. Maybe even talismans."  
  
"Okay, but what does that have to do with Section Three?" Black sighed. Uncle could be so long-winded, sometimes.  
  
"Very powerful weapons made there. Then, suddenly, gone. Song Dynasty, mages, weapons, everything. Mysterious."  
  
"Yes, very," Black was now losing patience. "Does this story have a point?"  
  
"Clow Reed court mage, dean of mages school," Uncle said triumphantly. "Qinxong Li mages school. QINXONG LI IS SAME AS CLOW REED. Means same thing."  
  
Black's eyes widened. "So you think this village to the west is the mages school? This Qinxong Li place?"  
  
Uncle nodded. "Is possible. One more thing,"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Festival to Crying Goddess very potent Chinese magick. Could be target for Section Three?"  
  
"Then tell me more about it," Black said.  
  
"Legend from Song Dynasty," Uncle said as he took the poster out again. He unrolled the poster so they could look at the drawing of the overseer in the mask.  
  
She was a graceful figure dressed in white, one hand askance and the other holding her golden mask over her face. Her gown flowed around her, and a cape of some kind fluttered behind her like a pair of wings. The mask had two long beaded tassels coming down from a ruby-studded ball on either side, eyes and lips downcast on a delicate, almost elfin face. A single tear, represented by a diamond whose shine was gracefully rendered by its artist, rested on the curve of her right cheek.  
  
"Lover killed in great war," Uncle explained. "Shed single tear for his passing. Golden light destroyed enemies, carved Valley of Shrieking Souls. Legend says caused Song Dynasty to fall. Empress felt sorrow for passing hero, too."  
  
"Why is it called the Valley of Shrieking Souls?" Black asked. "Or do I not want to know?"  
  
"Is Valley of dead evil. Crying Goddess trapped their souls in valley. As wind blows through, evil souls shriek."  
  
"Nice ghost story," Black commented. "You really think they'll target this festival?"  
  
"I'd bet shop on it," Uncle said very seriously.  
  
"Then we'd better get there,"  
  
Uncle nodded. "We will."  
  
They continued walking for several minutes, with only the sounds of the ever-closer tavern district in the air. Finally, Black spoke.  
  
"I don't like this area. Jackie will be back, right?"  
  
"Jackie will be back," Uncle said, mentally adding, Or else.  
  
  
  
Jackie was wandering the streets, looking for anyone - anyone - to talk to. However, the dark streets were deserted, not even a pedestrian walking them, save for Jackie. He'd been wandering for over an hour now, and had thus far only learned two things: that he didn't know where he was meeting Black and Uncle, and that he didn't even know how to get back to the docks.  
  
One of the buildings he passed by was a grand hotel for this area, which would have qualified it as a dive anywhere else. Jackie wasn't particular, but that didn't mean that after days of backpacking through Hong Kong to get home, he was any too happy about sleeping in a hotel that didn't even look like it had running water. A candle lit one of the upstairs bedrooms - no electricity, either! - and a white haired figure sat with his back to the window, poring over something. Jackie smiled as he continued down the road, thinking of Valmont and the Dark Hand. After having some time to calm down, he realized that if Jade were with them, it could be the safest place for her.  
  
After all, Jade had escaped from the Dark Hand numerous times, was almost as good a martial artist as he, and was as clever as any of Section Thirteen's agents. She would terrorize the Dark Hand more than any of them would be able to hurt her.  
  
But Jackie didn't care about any of that. If he lost Jade, he would never be able to forgive himself. And if the Dark Hand didn't have her, where was she? Here? New Kowloon? Back in San Francisco, with Tohru?  
  
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see the girl coming out of the alley beside him; he walked right into her and they both fell back on their butts like bad ice skaters.  
  
Dropping his pack, he leapt up to offer her his hand. The girl looked for a moment like she was going to explode into violent profanity, but it faded when she looked up at his face. He could see that under the wave of long, blue-black hair, she was a pug-nosed, baby-cheeked, and very spirited young Japanese girl of about fourteen. Her chocolate eyes were widened and her slender form clad in a set of sweats, zipped, tucked and arrange to accentuate the best parts of her features. For a moment, Jackie found himself wishing she were a little older, but then he realized he had not yet helped her up when her look went from pleased to puzzled.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said shyly in English. "I didn't mean - "  
  
"No, it's entirely my fault - "  
  
"No, really, I do apologize - "  
  
"No need, I'm fine - "  
  
They looked at one another, and she was still sitting, one hand in his and one on the ground. Then they chuckled. She rose, dusting herself off.  
  
"Your English is wonderful," she observed, smiling. "But accented. You're from here?"  
  
"No, the mainland," Jackie grinned, picking up his pack. "But I live in America, now."  
  
"I'd like to go to America someday, to visit," the girl replied. "I wouldn't want to live there, though. I like Japan."  
  
"I like Japan, too!" Jackie said, sounding like a giddy schoolgirl. "I have been there many times."  
  
They looked around them, uncomfortable, not wanting to part company on a lonely night, yet not wanting to stay here. Finally, as though silently agreeing it was the proper course of action, they began strolling in the direction Jackie had originally been headed.  
  
"What brought you to Japan?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm an archaeologist," Jackie said humbly.  
  
"Cool!" the girl exclaimed, surprising Jackie with American slang.  
  
"Your English is excellent, too," he observed. "Where does someone so young learn a second language, especially one almost as hard as your own, so well?"  
  
"Oh, my parents made a lot of money, so they sent me to a really good school in Tokyo," she replied casually.  
  
"Sent you?"  
  
"I don't live with them," she smiled. "I live with my grandfather."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," Jackie said, assuming the worst.  
  
"No," the girl protested. "My grandfather is a Shinto monk. He's training me. I'm a Shinto priestess."  
  
Jackie looked at her, incredulous. "No way," he doubted, good-naturedly.  
  
She nodded proudly. "Yes, I am," she said. "I've worked very hard to learn what I know." She paused. "You move like you have, too," she added.  
  
Jackie nodded, smiling inwardly. So she was what she claimed to be.  
  
"What brings you to Hong Kong?" she asked him.  
  
"Business," he lied, but only marginally. "You?"  
  
"Family," she said, but the short way she said it told him much. She knew he was lying, and she was, too. But it was the casual lie told by tourists, like them, in a chance meeting, like this one.  
  
"You know something?" she said, breaking another uncomfortable silence. "You look like that martial arts actor. oh, what's his name."  
  
"Chow Yun Fat?" Jackie suggested helpfully, always the first to enjoy a good martial arts movie. Jade had enjoyed watching them with him.  
  
"No," the girl shook her head, frustrated. "Not him, the other guy."  
  
"Jet Li," Jackie grinned, about to thank her for the compliment.  
  
"No, the one who was in that American movie with the colored man," the girl told him. "They both played police officers.?"  
  
"Oh, him?" Jackie wrinkled his nose.  
  
"I'm sorry, did you find that insulting?" she asked, alarmed.  
  
"No," Jackie shook his head, embarrassed at the slip. "It's just, I think I have much more class than THAT guy."  
  
"Hmph," the girl replied. "Not TOO humble, are you?"  
  
"Oh no, not that!" Jackie said. "Normally, I'm very humble. My uncle is a Chinese antiques dealer. and a mage of sorts. Believe me, I know ALL about humility."  
  
The girl chuckled. "It's almost as though you know my grandfather," she said, the sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just that I have a friend who's an actress in action films, and she's very famous, and sometimes it goes to her head."  
  
"Really?" Jackie asked. "Who is this friend?"  
  
"Oh, she's my age, you've probably never watched her movies," the girl dismissed.  
  
"I might not have, but I'll bet my niece has," Jackie laughed. It felt good to laugh through his worries.  
  
"Her name is Minako Aino,"  
  
"Hey, I know Minako Aino! Sailor V, right?" Jackie exclaimed.  
  
The girl sighed again. "Yeah,"  
  
Jackie chuckled. "I'm sorry," he said. "You sound like it's tough handling your friend's fame."  
  
"Actually, I just got cast in her new movie," the girl said. "But sometimes, yeah. Sometimes I just feel like my friends are so. immature, like they don't understand the types of problems I have." She blushed and turned her face away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean - "  
  
"No, sometimes people need to talk about things," Jackie replied. He was thinking, Maybe I should take my own advice.  
  
After a moment's pause, he did. "Actually, I am here looking for my niece," he confided. "She disappeared from New Kowloon, and I think she may be somewhere here."  
  
"Why? How did she disappear?" the girl asked inquisitively.  
  
"I was coming here to do a. dig," he said. "One of my associates lost her somehow."  
  
The girl stopped, cocked her head to one side.  
  
"Do you believe in magick?" she asked.  
  
Jackie stopped. Ice ran through his veins. He wondered, Is she with Section Three?  
  
"I suppose," he said, an attempt at being casual.  
  
"I can help you," the girl said, excitedly. "I can scry for her. As a way of thanking you for keeping a confused child company."  
  
Jackie shrugged. "Sure, why not?"  
  
Moments later, they were standing in an alley, before an aluminum trash can. The garbage inside emitted an insidious odor as it burned from where the girl had tossed a lit match in. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.  
  
"Not my choice of altars, but it'll have to do," she said.  
  
Jackie watched as she chanted in Japanese, hearing only one word he even remotely recognized: Mars. He watched as the flame before her began leaping and dancing, its color going from red to blue to bright green as she fell deeper and deeper into her meditation.  
  
Finally, she said, "She's close - here on this island, anyway. West."  
  
"Is she alright?" Jackie asked anxiously. He'd seen enough magick lately to know this girl was for real, now.  
  
"She's sore. And tired," the girl wrinkled her brow. "Like she's been working out, though." She took a step back, took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I can't take the smell of this garbage. It's choking me."  
  
"No, you've been very helpful," Jackie replied. "Thank you."  
  
They emerged from the alley in silence, but this one was different. It was comfortable, bonded. This girl was about as fourteen as Jade was eleven, and Jackie found himself treating her like an equal. From the way she moved, he could only imagine fighting with her, hopefully by her side, not against her.  
  
The came back to the hotel about fifteen minutes later, having said little else. She turned to him, smiling.  
  
"Well, thanks again for keeping me company," she said.  
  
"Wait, I never got your name," Jackie protested.  
  
"Oh, I'm Hino Rei - I mean, Rei Hino," she emphasized this last for his American frame of reference. He was Chinese, but still, very American.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Rei," Jackie bowed in the Japanese tradition, as a sign of respect for his new friend. "I am Jackie Chan. I hope this will not be the last time we meet."  
  
"It may not," Rei beamed. "You're going west to look for your niece. I'm going west with - my family. We may meet again on the other side of the island."  
  
"I hope so, Rei," Jackie smiled as she backed her way into the building. "You're a very nice girl, and a wise priestess."  
  
When she disappeared, he checked his watch. His stomach did a flip. He was late for the meeting!  
  
He ran all the way back to the docks, then over, in the direction of the taverns. As he approached the outskirts of the group of loud buildings, he could see shady figures talking quietly amongst themselves, clustered in twos and threes. He also saw, at the edge of the district, a huge brawl taking place, men throwing one another around like so many sacks of potatoes. A pair of dubious-looking men were eyeing him greedily, taking an inventory of everything they thought he had. Jackie was not at ease here.  
  
"Jac-KIE!" Uncle was approaching, and he looked like steam was about to explode from his ears. Black was at his heels, studiously ignoring the whole thing. "You are late!"  
  
"Sorry, Uncle!" Jackie bowed his head. "I think I found a lead on Jade!"  
  
"We think we found a lead on Section Three," Black said, a glare from Uncle prompted him to add, "Uncle found it, anyway."  
  
"Jac-kie," Uncle whispered, his eyes alight. "What is my fondest wish?"  
  
Jackie blinked. "To find the lost Valley of Shrieking Souls," he replied, curious. "Why?"  
  
"I think we found it,"  
  
Uncle handed him a flyer, and when he perused it, Jackie gasped in delight.  
  
"There's a festival there? That place is for real?" Then, he gasped as a sudden realization hit him. "But isn't the ceremony to the Crying Goddess very magickal?"  
  
Black answered this time. "We think it's a possibility that Section Three will make an appearance there. It's too much of a coincidence that they disappeared, with Lan Tao their only trace, right before a legendary high ceremony."  
  
"Where is this place?" Jackie asked rhetorically as he consulted the poster.  
  
"West of here, in the highest parts of Lan Tao," Uncle said, doing a very good job of sounding mysterious.  
  
"West? Rei said Jade is to the west!" Jackie exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"Who is Rei?" Uncle cocked one eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, she's this girl that I met, who is a." Jackie paused in shock. "A Shinto priestess. Another magick-user." Looking at his comrades, he asked, "Do you think there's a connection?"  
  
Black shrugged, but Uncle said, "Anything is possible."  
  
"You should probably be cautious if you see her again," Black added. "Especially if she turns up in this Shrieking Valley."  
  
"Valley of Shrieking Souls!" Uncle corrected vehemently.  
  
"Whatever," Black frowned. "But we have a meeting to attend, remember?"  
  
"Ah, yes," Uncle nodded. "We must go to Mandarin, meet Hairspray."  
  
They circled the building until Uncle and Jackie spotted the sign, which had no indication of any English on it. They entered the run-down, vermin- infested shack that bore the sign, only to be greeted by a wall of thick sweet-smelling smoke. Jackie and Uncle just glanced at one another, but Black wrinkled his nose in disgust.  
  
"Drugs," he said. "Don't these ruffians know they're illegal?"  
  
"Not everything is same everywhere," Uncle rose an eyebrow at the tall, very conspicuous agent.  
  
"I know, I know," Black backed down. "I just don't like this place."  
  
Jackie leaned over to mutter, "If it's any consolation, neither do I."  
  
What lay before them was a crowd of broken-and-fixed tables with an assortment of unmatching chairs, all of them occupied by the greasiest, dirtiest, slimiest of underworld characters. Ranging in appearance from well-dressed playboys to battle-scarred pilots, the stench of crime was in the air everywhere in this crowded place. The myriad of conversations and the loud, unidentifiable music made for a cacophony of headaches.  
  
Black led the way weaving through the crowd toward the bar at the far end of the dimly lit room. At one point, one of the parasites around them grabbed for Jackie. Uncle grabbed the man's wrist before he had a chance to even touch the old man's nephew, wagging his finger back and forth in admonition. The would-be thief glared for a moment, then turned back to his table.  
  
They reached the bar, where a tough looking young Chinese girl was racing back and forth, serving drinks and shouting orders the other bartenders. When she saw the American man, she raised an eyebrow, then gestured them to the farthest end of the bar. She whispered something in the ear of the biggest, brawniest of her bartenders, then led them through a door in the back of the bar. The door led to a storeroom. She bent down, pulled at a wooden board on the floor of the small, cramped room, and revealed a ladder, leading into a dark void. She climbed down, motioning for them to follow.  
  
Before they all had reached the bottom, she had a lantern lit to reveal a room decorated in a traditional Chinese style, with huge silken pillows all over the wooden floor. On the wall hung a virtual armory of martial arts weapons, including swords, bomburi, shenai, and some weapons even Jackie couldn't identify. He gasped in awe. Uncle nodded in appreciation.  
  
"Joketsozuku style," he observed in Chinese. "Very well-done, too."  
  
"Well, it should be," the girl replied. "I AM Joketsozuku." She bowed to them, adding in English, "I am Hairspray, at your service."  
  
Jackie took his first opportunity to get a really good look at her. She was dressed in a cheongsam of pale blue with pale pink trim, her hair pulled up in two odangos trimmed in pale blue and pink ribbons. Her stance was one of practiced poise, the kind that is bred only from a lifetime of study in the martial arts. Right now, her manner was all business.  
  
So was Black's.  
  
"So, is everything ready?" he asked her in English.  
  
"Who are these people?" she demanded, gesturing at Jackie and Uncle. Her English was as good as her Chinese, and could have been from anywhere in the United States.  
  
"They're archaeologists, Hairspray, they've got clearance,"  
  
"They look like gimps," she retorted. Then she strode up to Uncle, her nose inches from his. "How do you know about the Joketsozuku?"  
  
"I know many things," Uncle told her, putting his Finger of Wisdom up between his nose and hers. "Including that if Elders knew you treat Uncle like this, they be ve-ry mad!"  
  
Cowed, she turned her irritation about it over to Jackie.  
  
"And what about you? What's your excuse?"  
  
"Well, for one, I have better manners," Jackie retorted. "Get to the point, little girl."  
  
"Jac-kie!" Uncle's hand flew to his forehead in exasperation. Black took about three steps back, hands up as though warding off some freakish evil.  
  
Hairspray took a stance.  
  
"Little girl, eh?" she said. "Well, we'll see what you think when I've beaten your head into a bloody pulp."  
  
And suddenly, some forgotten history lesson surfaced in the back of Jackie's mind, and he remembered who the Joketsozuku were. These were fierce Amazons who fought any who challenged or crossed them. If they defeated their foe in battle, their mercy or malevolence would manifest based on the gender of the opponent. Women would be killed. Men would be married. If the Amazon lost and lived, she would seek the opponent out and fulfill this law, one way or the other. Amazons generally didn't lose, however. In fact, the only story Jackie had ever heard of a man winning was a dubious story about some boy who turned into a girl and defeated an Amazon princess somewhere in the middle of mainland China.  
  
Jackie dropped his pack and took a stance of his own, waiting for the girl to strike. She didn't. She just stood there, in stance, and watched him.  
  
Twenty minutes later, neither had budged, and Black yawned and sat down on one of the pillows.  
  
"Is this almost done? We have business to attend to,"  
  
Uncle, who was leaning against a pillar right in the middle of the room, said, "This beyond your understanding. This law, thousands of years old."  
  
"Well, I'm tired, and I would like to find a hotel before sunrise," Black complained.  
  
"I think you're already lying in bed," Uncle shrugged.  
  
After almost an hour had passed, Jackie finally stretched and yawned.  
  
"Ha!" cried Hairspray. "You have lost the Challenge of the Fighting Form!"  
  
"Huh?" Jackie looked at her. "Oh! Right, we were fighting."  
  
"What?" the girl shrieked in shock.  
  
"I fell asleep. I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect."  
  
"No man could hold that stance in his sleep," she sneered. "You're lying. You've lost, and now you're mine!"  
  
"Does that mean this is over and we can get on with the mission?" Black asked, having been startled from a light nap by Hairspray's enraged cry.  
  
"It has only begun," Uncle snickered. "If Jackie really did hold stance in sleep, he best you in battle. Then you leave alone."  
  
"No way," Hairspray retorted. "Then I give him the Kiss of Love. And then, he's mine."  
  
"In other words, I'm yours either way," Jackie noted.  
  
"Exactly," Hairspray beamed. "And you are a good catch. You look like that guy in that American movie the GI's like so much, the martial artist."  
  
"You mean Jet Li?" Black asked.  
  
"No way," Uncle retorted. "Hero from 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.'"  
  
"Ha, you're both wrong," Hairspray said. "The other guy, from that cop movie with the black man in it."  
  
Jackie threw his hands in the air. "Does EVERYONE think I look like that guy?"  
  
Uncle said to Hairspray, "Jackie never home."  
  
"So what? It's not like I want a RELATIONSHIP, old man," Hairspray replied. "Just strong children."  
  
"I think the children are already in this room," Black muttered, trying to go back to sleep.  
  
However, the lightbulb over Uncle's head was nearly visible as he jumped up, excited.  
  
"But he already has a daughter!" he announced.  
  
Hairspray looked at Jackie in alarm, backing away. Jackie shot Uncle a curious glance.  
  
"I do?" he mouthed to Uncle.  
  
"Matter of fact, he here to look for her," Uncle added. The Finger of Wisdom rose again. "She called Jade. She lost in Lan Tao. Reason for mission."  
  
"You're lying," Hairspray said, her eyes narrowing.  
  
"Sorry, toots, you're out of luck," Black said from beneath a pile of pillows that he'd hoped would serve as a barrier against this inane argument. "He's telling the truth."  
  
"This cannot be!" Hairspray collapsed in a heap of tears. "I am doomed to failure!"  
  
"Hairspray is on a quest for a husband," Black supplied helpfully. "She joined with us in hopes of finding one. I guess you were her next pick, Jackie."  
  
Jackie's face softened, and he walked over to the suddenly-small Chinese girl. He sat next to her and put her arms around her.  
  
"Well, you're a pretty girl," he said, trying to be comforting. "You'll find a husband."  
  
"No, I won't," Hairspray sobbed. "I am the best fighter of all the Amazon tribes, all over the world. Amazon men are scared of me. And I can beat all the outlanders."  
  
"Why beat them?" Jackie asked her. "Why not just find a nice guy and date him?"  
  
"That not how Amazons find husbands!" Uncle said.  
  
"You. you mean. like just talk to one? And spend time with him?"  
  
"Yeah," Jackie said encouragingly. "Get to know him. Trust me, you're missing the best part if you are looking for a husband without a relationship."  
  
"But he has to be at least my equal in fighting skill, otherwise our children will be weak."  
  
"I have just the guy!" Jackie said brightly. "He's in San Francisco, but maybe we can arrange for you to go there and meet him. He's a Japanese sumo wrestler."  
  
"Tohru?" Black said, disbelieving. Then, after a moment's consideration, he added, "Hm. That could work."  
  
"I thought sumo wrestlers were fat," Hairspray retorted.  
  
"I prefer to think of Tohru as a LOT of guy," Jackie smiled. "Besides, sumo is a very respected profession in Japan. If you want strong children, Tohru's your guy."  
  
"Really?" Hairspray brightened up a bit. "When can I meet him?"  
  
"We'll take you back with us, Hairspray," Black said. "We've got to get to a town called Qinzong Li, and we need that equipment you have."  
  
"You won't be leaving for a few days, will you?" Hairspray asked nervously, twirling a stand of hair that had annoyingly come loose from her perfect coif. "An old friend is supposed to be stopping by, and I have to send her on to the Valley as well."  
  
"Someone else?" Black demanded. "No one can interfere in this, Hairspray."  
  
"This may be a Section Thirteen problem, Black," Hairspray told him vehemently. "But it is a Chinese problem, too. And we're well-equipped to handle it." Rising, she added, "Besides, I think The Little Mouse will be perfectly willing to work with you, and not against you. Especially if she knows what you did to Shengdu."  
  
"For your information, that was Jackie and Jade's doing," Black inserted.  
  
Hairspray looked at Jackie wistfully. "What strong children we could have had. If you didn't have a daughter."  
  
She walked out of the room, opening a panel that previously looked like just another wall decorated with weapons. She shut it behind her.  
  
When the door was safely shut, Uncle said, "Don't let Jade ANWHERE near Hairspray."  
  
"Why not, Uncle?" Jackie asked, alarmed.  
  
"Because Hairspray back down because Amazons respect good warrior, but good warrior who is parent to little girl is valuable prize. Little girl even more valuable, made part of clan."  
  
"Oh, I see," Jackie said, chuckling. "I agree, Jade would leap too quickly at the chance to be an Amazon."  
  
"Good thing she's staying in Hong Kong when we go back State-side," Black remarked.  
  
The door reopened, and Hairspray came back out, laden down with a box three times her size. Ever the gentleman, Jackie jumped up to help her. Relieving her of her burden, he promptly dropped it.  
  
"Jackie, that's expensive equipment!" Black admonished.  
  
"Sorry! It was heavy!" Jackie cried in protest.  
  
"No it wasn't," Hairspray said casually. "Come on, your chariot awaits."  
  
She opened yet another secret door in the wall and walked out of sight. Black glared at Jackie before helping him lift the huge heavy box, and, trailed by Uncle, they followed the Amazon out the door and up the stairs.  
  
As he watched her lead them out of the building, Jackie thought to himself, Yes, Tohru is definitely a good match for this one. 


	4. Destined-ations

Author's Note: Alrighty, then. I checked the website, http://www.spe.sony.com/tv/kids/jackiechan/). They are labeled "Finn, Ratso, and Chow" and standing with the green guy first, the disco guy next, and Chow last. When the first season design of the website was up, the Enforcers had individual bios, and the disco guy was labeled "Ratso." And yet, in the episode entitled "He Does His Own Stunts," the disco guy called Frankenstein "Ratso." Special thanks to my stepson, Karjanmon, and to Chris Fabris, for pointing this out to me. I mean, the fandom is for the show, not the website, right? A revised version, with the names portrayed accurately, should have already been posted. Now, I just hope I can get used to the change....  
  
Thanks, fans, and enjoy!  
  
***Qinzong Li, Lan Tao***  
  
"Are. we. done. yet?" Jade panted, wiping the blood from her scraped knuckles as she tiredly tried to stand.  
  
"Not. till. one. of. us. falls," Meilin replied, gasping for air, kneeling.  
  
"Well. it won't. be me," Jade finally made it to her feet long enough to try a half-hearted swing at her adversary.  
  
Darkness had fallen a long time before, and yet the battle had not ended. Jade had a bloody hole in the knee of her jeans, and there was more blood and dirt caked under her fingernails. One of Meilin's pigtails had been relocated just under her ear, its odango pulled out and sticking to the sweat on her neck.  
  
Dodging Jade's swing, Meilin found herself on the ground yet again. She lost her balance and fell back, looking up in alarm as Jade began falling, too. Meilin rolled out of the way just as the American girl hit the dirt, and neither made much of a move to rise. Jade yawned.  
  
"What say we postpone the climax of this fight till tomorrow?" she asked, her voice full of hope.  
  
"Does that mean you concede?"  
  
"You never quit, do you,"  
  
"Never," Meilin confirmed. "If I quit, I never would have become a fighter."  
  
"Me, either," Jade said. "It takes a lot of practice to be as good as we are."  
  
Meilin turned to face her American counterpart.  
  
"You really think I am good?" she asked, beaming.  
  
"Uh-huh," Jade said emphatically. "Trust me, I know."  
  
"You're really good, too," Meilin said. "Next time we meet, I hope it's on - "  
  
She stopped abruptly, and suddenly sat up, grunting as she did so. Jade looked in the direction she was peering, and saw a cluster of lights in the late-night sky. Meilin made a small growling sound deep in her throat.  
  
"What is that?" Jade asked her.  
  
"A helicopter. I don't know whose," Meilin said grimly. "But it comes every evening. In fact, it's late tonight."  
  
"Does this have anything to do with a red-haired American girl?"  
  
Meilin looked at her a long time before answering.  
  
"Some of the merchants in town, the ones that go to Gizjhang, say that helicopter brings the American girl. But that place - " She shuddered.  
  
"What do you know about it?" Jade prompted.  
  
"Not much. I've never even seen the American girl,"  
  
"WHAT?!!?" Jade exclaimed. "The lady in the antiques shop said I was to look here for her great-niece, and that you would be able to lead me to the American girl." Jade's hands had flown into the pockets of her jacket in indignance. But she stopped abruptly when one hand struck something hard. Puzzled, she reached into her pocket.  
  
In her hand, and miraculously unscathed, was the porcelain figure of Song Lin Tzu.  
  
"Hey, that's from Auntie Ying's shop!" Meilin pointed at the figurine. "It's one of her most priceless pieces! What are you doing with it?"  
  
"I." Jade thought for a moment. "She gave it to me. To show you I'd spoken to her."  
  
"But she knew I was right there!" Meilin exclaimed. "I would have recognized you anyway! There must have been a different reason." Suddenly getting into stance again, she demanded, "You didn't steal it, did you?"  
  
"No way!" Jade replied, preparing to defend herself despite protesting muscles. "She really DID give it to me! And if you knew who I was, why did you fight me?"  
  
"I needed to make sure you were worthy," Meilin responded simply.  
  
"Give me a break," Jade dismissed. "This is like a bad hop-and-chop theater! Why would you need to test me?"  
  
"Look, that's just who we are around here, okay?" Meilin exclaimed. "When we're threatened, it's our business. We don't like outsiders poking their noses in it."  
  
"And that - " Jade gestured in the direction the helicopter had gone. " - is threatening to your village?"  
  
"Well, you tried talking to the people today," Meilin said, crossing her arms. "Since you act so much like you're Chinese, they talked to you. But would they talk about the helicopter or the American girl?"  
  
"No," Jade admitted. "And I AM Chinese. I grew up in New Kowloon."  
  
"You did?" Meilin asked in shock. "What did you say your family name was, again?"  
  
"Chan," Jade crossed her arms proudly. She didn't fully understand why, but Chan was a surname with a lot of prestige around Hong Kong and southern China. She even knew about Mexican Maya whose last names were Chan, and they, too, were revered.  
  
And when she saw Meilin's reaction, she decided she would have to ask Uncle about that sometime.  
  
Meilin did not bow, or kneel, but she looked like she was about to. She DID lower her head and say, "Had I known that, there would have been no need to test your skill, or your honor."  
  
"Why?" Jade ventured.  
  
"I did not realize you were Chinese. I thought you were American. Though you don't act much like a Chan."  
  
"What does a Chan act like?" Jade asked.  
  
"I don't remember what the books say, but I expect a Chan to be more. refined,"  
  
"WHY?" Jade was getting exasperated.  
  
"I told you, I don't remember! I just remember my teacher mentioning the name when I was younger,"  
  
While Jade seemed to grudgingly accept this answer, Meilin shuddered at the lie. Her teacher never told her; no one had. Its mere mentioned had stirred up some cobwebbed corner of her mind, and in turn had caused a chill to run up and down her spine. It was not a name that specifically meant anything to her, and yet it meant everything.  
  
"So why won't anyone talk much about the American girl, anyway?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, because they think she is a demon,"  
  
"Ah, and mentioning a demon could bring it to you," Jade nodded. "Well, is she?"  
  
Meilin shrugged. "I don't know."  
  
"Well, if she is, just wait till Uncle gets here," Jade said proudly. "He knows magick, and he'll do a chi spell that'll send the demon back to wherever she came from."  
  
"Wow, your Uncle knows magick?" Meilin asked, sighing. "So does my fiancé, Shaoron, but I don't even know if Shaoron will be here to help me."  
  
"Well, with all that magick, beating a demon will be easy," Jade said. "I'm sure your friend will come, and then there will be demon guts everywhere!"  
  
"I hope so,"  
  
"So what's on that island, anyway?"  
  
"Towers,"  
  
"What's IN the towers?" Jade wanted to know.  
  
Meilin shrugged. "I've never actually been to the island."  
  
"Why not?" Jade raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Because spirits live there. Or, at least, they did till the towers went up,"  
  
"We need to go there!" Jade exclaimed. "Gather intelligence. Find out as much about the demon as we can, so Uncle can make the right chi spell."  
  
"Well, I know where we can get a boat," Meilin replied.  
  
"Good, then let's go get this demon!"  
  
  
  
"That is, assuming we can even get the boat," she said about an hour later.  
  
Outside the village of Qinxong Li was a small harbor, from which the fishermen of the village would set sail for the day's catch. Most of the boats were junks, their scalloped sails dark in the blackness of night. There were a couple of motor boats, little better than skiffs, and not suitable for the crossing.  
  
"Oh, no," Meilin sighed, looking over the selection. "There's only one boat here that will work, but I don't know about taking it."  
  
Jade, too, was looking at the sleek black boat with the white scorpion emblazoned on its side. She'd seen a thousand just like it on San Francisco Bay; muscle-boats, usually piloted by some weight-lifting bruiser with a bikini-clad babe tanning on the bow. She looked out at the rough seas, and jumped on the scorpion boat.  
  
Meilin looked down uncertainly at her from the dock.  
  
"I don't know about this." she said.  
  
"Do you have a better idea?" Jade demanded.  
  
Taking one last cautious glance around, Meilin untied the boat and followed Jade on. Jade had managed to get it started; Meilin could see no sign of a key, but she couldn't see any damage, either. She decided to herself that Auntie Ying had been right about this Chan girl.  
  
And suddenly it was as though they were flying across the bay. The boat glided over the water and they could feel the chilly, salty wind blowing through their hair and over their faces. Waves made the boat jump and skip across them, jarring both the girls along the way.  
  
The lights on top of the towers were getting bigger and bigger. At first, they mistook this for the decreasing distance making them appear that way. Until an extremely rough wave knocked Meilin to the back of the boat. Jade hung on to the wheel, but keeping her feet on the ground was tricky.  
  
"What's going on!" she cried.  
  
She yanked the throttle down to nothing, but little good came of the attempt at order. Now the waves were desperate infielders, continuously trying to get a double play. The whole world around them was shaking, and the girls held on frantically.  
  
"It's like an earthquake!" Jade cried.  
  
"This is not good," Meilin had a chance to add before another wave sent her flying.  
  
Jade looked up just before Meilin's head collided with hers.  
  
Then there was an explosion of stars.  
  
Then cold blackness.  
  
  
  
***New Kowloon***  
  
The airport, like most airports, had been an exercise in chaos, despite the use of the private jet. Unfortunately, they'd had to land on the mainland, because there were no airports large enough to land the Kuno mammoth on Lan Tao. Li knew where they could get a boat the rest of the way, but first they had to work their way through a huge mob of travelers, merchants, and workers that filled the airport like so many sardines in a can.  
  
Li directed them to a taxi and then suddenly disappeared. Madison looked at Sakura, not sure what to say, not even convinced she would be heard. She could only shrug.  
  
Sakura was looking around, feeling extremely small, when she noticed something direly wrong.  
  
"Where's Kodachi?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," Madison shouted back, barely hearing Sakura's question over the din. "The last place I remember seeing her was the plane!"  
  
"Li sure was in a hurry to get off the plane," Sakura observed. "He must be really eager to get home."  
  
"You would do the same, if it was your family," Madison replied. "I just wonder what the Oni had to do with it, and why she was in Tokyo."  
  
"I just hope the Cards will be enough to stop her, whoever she is," Sakura reached down and absently fingered the Key of Clow, which hung from a chain around her neck.  
  
Presently, Li returned.  
  
"Okay, let's go," he said, ducking them quickly into a cab. He said something in Chinese to the driver, and they were off.  
  
The two girls could only look at him in outrage.  
  
"Where's Kodachi?" Sakura demanded.  
  
"Looking for the connecting flight to Lan Tao," Li sat back, casually lacing his hands behind his head.  
  
"Then why are we taking a boat?" Madison wanted to know.  
  
"Because there IS no connecting flight to Lan Tao," Li smirked.  
  
"WHAT?!!?" both the girls exclaimed in unison.  
  
Kero chose this moment to poke his head out of Sakura's bag. He had a big grin on his pudding-covered face.  
  
"Good move, kid," he said approvingly.  
  
"Kero!" Sakura exclaimed. "We can't just ditch Kodachi!"  
  
"Yeah," Madison seconded. "She's big back home. You could have just ruined us!"  
  
"How? What could she do to US?" Li asked, scowling.  
  
"Well, there was this martial gymnast at her school," Madison explained. "Lita Kino. And she was better than Kodachi. Then, all of a sudden, this rumor went around about her. People started saying that Lita liked to beat people up. Ever since then, she's been known as 'Karate Maniac.' She wound up leaving the school, and Kodachi became the best gymnast there."  
  
"If you knew that about her, why did you want to hook up with someone like that?" Kero crossed his arms disapprovingly.  
  
"Because she has a lot of clout, and it's good to have clout like that on our side," Sakura responded.  
  
"What, a rumor-spreading gossip-queen?" Li snorted.  
  
"No, Tokyo's best martial gymnast and one of its richest citizens," Madison replied. "She's not even an adult, and she's worth more than half the kids in Tokyo combined. And that's just HER allowance. She has a twin brother, and a Daddy who makes all this money, too."  
  
"Yeah," Sakura added. "How else would we have gotten to Hong Kong? And to thank her, you left her stranded in the airport!"  
  
Li sat forward, the scowl on his face cutting lines in it and shooting daggers at them.  
  
"I don't trust her," he said. "And the only reason I told you two is because this is Clow Card business. We're going to my ancestral home, which used to be the home of Clow Reed. And I don't want that crazy girl anywhere near it, you got that?"  
  
"Li, you know she's just going to go there anyway," Sakura warned. "And then she's going to find us and be really mad."  
  
"Let her be mad," Li snapped back. "She probably would have done the same to us, anyway."  
  
He leaned back, glaring in a manner that dared them to argue, so he could unleash. They didn't.  
  
"Good. Then it's settled,"  
  
The rest of the ride to the shipyard was angrily silent.  
  
  
  
Kodachi wandered around the airport for about an hour before she realized that those idiot children had clearly gotten so lost she would never find them. This was frustrating, but it was something she had expected anyway. Besides, it wasn't her place to be a babysitter to a bunch of fifth-grade brats. She just hadn't realized losing them would be so easy.  
  
However, she wasn't in Lan Tao yet. She went to the information desk, where a young lady - a peon, a mere poor person - awaited her with a smile. Well, Kodachi would ruin her day.  
  
"I demand to see the flight planner," she said, inwardly gleeful when the smile melted.  
  
She began spouting off in very heated Chinese, and Kodachi was quickly lost amidst only semi-familiar phrases spoken too quickly for her understanding. Finally, she grabbed the woman by the collar and hissed, "Do you know who I am? I am Kodachi Kuno, and I demand to see the flight planner!"  
  
Something registered in the woman's eyes; she held up a finger and ran to the security office behind her desk. Kodachi crossed her arms and waited. After a few minutes, the woman re-emerged with a Japanese man in a business suit. He approached her, looking extremely nervous.  
  
"Miss Kuno?" he stammered in Japanese when he reached her. "My name is Aiko Mosimato. I'm the flight planner. How can we help you?"  
  
"First off, fire her," Kodachi turned to point to the desk attendant, not realizing how close she was. By the time Kodachi finished her gesture, the woman was clutching her face and shouting something.  
  
"Why do you want her fired?" Mr. Mosimato asked in surprise.  
  
"She is inefficient. She dared to make me wait," Kodachi spat.  
  
"Miss Kuno, your father is very important in the board of directors," Mr. Mosimato told her. "But I can't fire this girl. She didn't know you were the heiress to the Kuno fortune. When she found out, she came and got me immediately. She did a fine job."  
  
"What kind of place is this?!!?" Kodachi threw up her arms in despair, knocking aside a huge stack of luggage on a passing cart.  
  
"This is an airport, Miss Kuno," Mr. Mosimato replied helpfully, trying not to wince as the fallen luggage took three people down with it. They moaned in pain, their belongings scattered all over the floor. "And you had a flight plan to file?"  
  
"Yes," Kodachi replied. "Happy you've finally joined the conversation. I want to fly my jet to Lan Tao."  
  
Now Mr. Mosimato really did wince, and it wasn't just because of the trolley that had skidded on some of the fallen travelers' fallen luggage, which had sent the trolley crashing through one of the arrival gates. It wasn't even the subsequent explosion from the cockpit of the plane that had been docked there, or the plane's slowly rolling into the building itself as its pilot momentarily lost control. And the collapse of that whole side of the terminal was only part of his dismay.  
  
"Miss Kuno, you can't fly a jet as big as yours to Lan Tao!"  
  
"And why not?" Kodachi demanded over the commotion.  
  
"Because there's not an airport large enough on the whole island!" Mr. Mosimato shouted over the din of shouting people, klaxons, and approaching ambulances.  
  
"Well what do you suggest?" Kodachi said acidly.  
  
"That you take the boat, like everyone else does," Mr. Mosimato said, hoping she'd do just that and destroy their building instead.  
  
"Do I look like everyone else?!!?" Kodachi cried out.  
  
Three security guards ran up to the flight planner. They spoke in hurried Chinese, sparing Kodachi a few cautious glances. Mr. Mosimato said something back to them, at which point they started begging him for something. Finally, he relented.  
  
"Let's go to my office, Miss Kuno, and we'll see what we can do," he sighed, thinking, The guards are right. The sooner she's gone, the better!  
  
Once they were safely - he hoped - in his office, the called the only field near Lan Tao that could handle the Kuno jet. He spoke for several minutes to the field's owner, and then put the phone down.  
  
Kodachi had her arms crossed again, and was staring out the window, her impatience making her smolder. When Mr. Mosimato finally addressed her, she was thinking, It's about time.  
  
"You're cleared for immediate departure to Skorpion Island," he told her quickly. "It's a private island about twenty miles west of Lan Tao, and the owner has even graciously agreed to provide transport to Lan Tao. Will that be acceptable?"  
  
"Absolutely," Kodachi smiled her wicked grin. "I'm glad you saw things my way. I want to leave as soon as possible."  
  
"Of course, Miss Kuno," Mr. Mojimato smiled his public-relations smile. "That is all we wanted to do for you."  
  
  
  
***Gizjhang, Lan Tao***  
  
"So who's this music guy we're goin' to meet?" Ratso asked as he attempted to skip rocks off the pier.  
  
"That's Song, not 'sawng,'" Valmont corrected him, looking dapper as he waited for the appointed pick-up. "Song Xian Chi. He's like the Shadowkahn, but without Shengdu."  
  
"You mean, he's a demon?" Chow asked, bewildered.  
  
"No, a sorcerer," Valmont replied. "And probably the richest criminal mastermind in the Orient."  
  
"How do you know all this, Big V?" Finn wanted to know.  
  
"Xian Chi and his Skorpion Clan have a bit of a reputation in the world of organized crime," Valmont told them. "They are a very, very old organization, and Xian Chi is a very smart man. He collects artifacts, like the Talismans, or that statue of Lo Pei we fought for the Talismans."  
  
"You don't think he's gonna try and steal the Talismans, do you, boss?" Ratso asked.  
  
"I am sure he will," Valmont grinned. "But two can play at that game, can't they?"  
  
"Oh. Yeah," Ratso was clearly still confused about the whole thing, but Finn and Chow issued broad grins.  
  
"Maybe losing that treasure was the best thing that ever happened to us," Finn told Chow, who nodded in agreement.  
  
"Ahem!"  
  
The feminine cough was offered from the right of Valmont, and they all looked. They were greeted by the sight of a small, sharp-featured girl whose skin was almost white beneath a long mantle of curly black hair. Her slightly slanted blue eyes appraised them with too much activity. The top of her head barely reached Chow's chest, but none of them wanted to make a move. There was a towering air about this girl, even considering the breeches and tee-tunic she wore.  
  
"You are Sebastian Valmont, right?" she asked. "Your parents weren't very creative, were they."  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Valmont stamped his cane.  
  
"Your first name is Sebastian?" Finn asked, giggling.  
  
"What kind of name is that?" Ratso chuckled.  
  
"What kind of name is Ratso?" Valmont glared daggers at him. All three Enforcers immediately stopped laughing. Satisfied, Valmont turned back to the girl.  
  
"And who are you?" he demanded.  
  
"My name is Larane Marsh," the girl replied, her face never changing from its blank expression. She smoothed out the long, short-sleeved shirt she was wearing and stood up a bit straighter, which seemed to add about six feet to her height, though it only added inches. "I was sent by Song Xian Chi to escort you to Skorpion Island."  
  
"Ah, we've been expecting you," Valmont snapped up his cane and made to follow her. "Where is our transport?"  
  
Larane narrowed her eyes. "I don't know if I want to take you," she replied. "I don't like you. Your aura lacks honor."  
  
"I think your master would be angry if you don't bring me to him," Valmont growled, meeting her gaze.  
  
"Xian Chi is not my master," she replied evenly. "He's more of a. business partner. And he sent me to study you. I don't like what I see."  
  
"So what do you plan on doing about it?" As the Enforcers took fighting stances, Valmont reached into his pocket, hoping the Talisman he was about to pull out would be useful if it came down to fighting this black-clad she- bitch.  
  
She took a deep breath, and muttered something softly.  
  
The wind suddenly began to pick up, whipping Valmont's hair and the flags of nearby boats into a frenzy. He looked around, noticing that there were no people around, which was odd for a busy dock at this time of day.  
  
The wind picked up harder and harder, so Valmont pulled the random Talisman out of his pocket. And was pleased to discover it was the pig. Grinning, he activated it, and took aim at a point just before Larane Marsh's feet.  
  
"Heat beam eyes!" he cried out, invoking the Talisman's power.  
  
The blast of heat had more than the desired effect. For one, it tore through the cold winds Larane had created, dispersing them into so many downdrafts and scattering garbage and papers all over the docks. For another, the surface before Larane was pummeled with a wall of heat so potent, it smashed through the wood, knocking Larane off-balance - and out of her spell.  
  
"Interesting," she said, narrowing her eyes again. She reached into her shirt and pulled out a small pouch, readying to throw it. Valmont took the opportunity to interrupt her.  
  
"I missed the first time out of professional courtesy," he said. "I will not do so again."  
  
"Ah," she replied, smiling. "Are you sure that would do any good?" She held out the pouch as though offering it to him.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Valmont said, "Alright. It was a pleasure knowing you."  
  
But when he blasted her again, she leaped out of the way, tossing the satchel in the path of the heat. It exploded in a cloud of dust, which, the moment it touched her, caused Larane Marsh to fly.  
  
Hovering about ten feet from the ground, she cried out, "It's only good if you catch me, Valmont!"  
  
"Catch you, eh?" Valmont muttered to himself, grinning. He watched as she drifted away, pulling all the Talismans from his pocket and grabbing the two he needed most right now - Rooster and Rabbit. With Rooster's levitation and Rabbit's power of speed, catching her would be easy.  
  
And it was. He grabbed her around the waist, crying, "Honey, I'm home!" A seagull flew past, looking a little shocked to find two people up to high without help.  
  
"You are just a man with dangerous toys," Larane hissed over her shoulder at him. "What makes you think you are worthy of the Sorcerer Xian Chi?"  
  
"Because my toys are just dangerous enough to catch his interest, my dear," Valmont whispered in her ear. In response, she elbowed him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. and the Rooster from his hand.  
  
Man and Talisman began to fall, Valmont not pleased by the fact he was headed for the roof of a warehouse. Desperately, he drew all the talismans from his pocket as his descent quickened, that roof becoming uncomfortably close.  
  
Quickly finding Horse and Dog, he landed with a THUD! Dog prevented him from dying, its glyph shimmering as it finished its work. Then, Horse healed all the bruises and the broken back which had resulted from the fall, restoring him to full capacity with plenty of time to snatch the Rooster before it could be grabbed by his adversary.  
  
"Are we quite finished yet?" he demanded as she landed on the roof beside him.  
  
"Well, Xian Chi will be wondering what's keeping us," she hissed. "But don't think this is over, Valmont."  
  
"What have I done to deserve this hatred from you, Miss Marsh?"  
  
"First off, the name's Le Fey. Make sure you use it," she told him, her voice full with venom. "And, what have you done? I can see through you, Valmont. And without your Talismans, and your Demon, you're nothing. If Xian Chi doesn't chew you up and spit you out, mark my words. I will."  
  
With that, she pushed him off the roof, leaving Dog and Horse to perform their duties yet again. Gathering up all four of them, she pointed to a cruiser in one of the boat slips.  
  
"We get on that one. Come on, let's not waste any more time,"  
  
As she walked away, Finn helped Valmont to his feet.  
  
"She's really got it in for you, don't she, Big V?"  
  
"How could she have so much power without having Talismans?" Ratso wondered.  
  
"She's a witch," Valmont said through wounded pride. "And soon, she'll be a dead witch."  
  
  
  
***Tan-O, Lan Tao***  
  
"THIS is our luxury suite?!!?" Steam was coming out of Rei's ears as she advanced on Serena. The sometimes-Champion of Love and Justice backed away from her counterpart's ire with true fear in her eyes.  
  
"I didn't know!" she cried defensively. "I didn't know this was such a dippy town!"  
  
Indeed, all the people that lived in Tan-O could have moved into Juuban district, and not even had to build new homes. In fact there were about as many people as there would be in the Juuban Mall at this very moment.  
  
It was much more modern than Gizjhang, however. In fact, it looked like a suburb, except that there was no city to attach itself to. Rows of houses on neatly-paved streets were punctuated by several schools and a university. There were even twenty-four hour stores here. Even the hotel might not have been that bad. if there hadn't been five beds in one room the size of Serena's.  
  
Serena by herself could take up one room. So could Rei. The others, while rather neat, still would have been cramped sharing the room without the two resident slobs.  
  
"Maybe we could get another room." Lita muttered to Mina, who giggled in response.  
  
"There ARE no other rooms, because of the festival!" Serena pouted, slinging her luggage on a bed. She sat down, arms crossed, looking like a younger version of herself. Lita and Mina exchanged a glance, then each took a bed of their own.  
  
"We can do this, guys!" Lita said, sounding a little over-enthusiastic.  
  
"Yeah, it's only for a few days," Mina hoped she didn't sound too sugary.  
  
"Besides, how much space do we really need?" Ami smiled, taking a bed and leaving the last for Rei.  
  
"Where's the bathroom?" Mina asked, unpacking a myriad of loofahs, creams, washes, hair treatments, and other toiletries.  
  
"I think it's over there," Lita pointed as she unpacked her punching dummy. "Any suggestions where I should put this?"  
  
"Maybe we can find some room outside," Ami suggested as she loaded the shelves with her books.  
  
Rei glared at Serena for a moment before hissing, "I'll find a way to get you back for this one."  
  
"But I really didn't do it, Rei! Honest!" Serena protested. She dug in her bag and handed Rei a brochure. "THIS is what I thought it was going to be like."  
  
Rei glanced over the brochure, and she had to admit, it made Tan-O look like a bustling metropolis. Even the hotel looked a lot grander in the photos than it actually was. She shook her head.  
  
"Damn," she said. "I guess we're stuck here."  
  
"Hey, we're here," Lita said. "That's a lot better than we were doing yesterday."  
  
"I don't know, I kind of liked that inn we stayed at last night," Rei said, and Serena detected a hint of something in her voice.  
  
"You met a boy last night, didn't you!" she cried, her eyes wide.  
  
"No," Rei said, blushing harder. Knowing her face felt so hot made her feel frustrated. Would her friends ever get her? It was okay to be friends with a boy. Serena was friends with Melvin. But he was Molly's boyfriend. Well, Zhu Shu was friends with Ranma, and that was the same as Jackie. Right, Rei?  
  
"It was nothing like that!" she exclaimed. "He's much older than me." Lita and Serena gasped in delight at this new scandal; even Mina returned from the bathroom to hear this one.  
  
"No! He was looking for his niece! I helped him find her. sort of."  
  
"Was he cute?" Serena demanded.  
  
"Was he tall?" Lita asked, sounding a little shy.  
  
"What was his name?" Mina asked.  
  
Ami sighed and continued putting her books away, finally graduating that chore to hook up her laptop. Her ear never left the conversation, however.  
  
"Okay, fine, he was kind of cute," Rei admitted. "He looked like that Chinese actor in the American movies. And he believed in magick. When I told him I could scry, he sounded interested."  
  
Ami froze. "What if." she wondered aloud.  
  
The other Scouts all looked at her.  
  
"Go on," Rei said expectantly.  
  
"Well, how many people really believe in magick?" Ami theorized. "With everything that's been going on in this area, we should really be careful of other magick-users. We don't know who might be the cause of all this negative energy. or who is allied with them."  
  
"That's so paranoid, Ami," Rei challenged, narrowing her eyes. If Jackie showed up, she didn't want him to be caught in the middle of all this, and if those other magick-users, the Card Captors, appeared, how could she get the Scouts to trust them? She added, "I can feel negative energy, remember?"  
  
Ami shook her head. "I think we need to be careful. We're not in Juuban, and we don't know what we're up against. And there have been times when negative energy has been hidden from even you. Remember Urawa-kun? You never noticed he had a Shadow Warrior inside him, or a Rainbow Crystal. And do you remember where that OTHER Rainbow Crystal was?"  
  
The vehemence in Ami's demeanor caused Rei to take an involuntary step back. The Shinto priestess was shocked that her genius friend would bring up that OTHER Rainbow Crystal, the one that had all along resided in her own grandfather. and Rei had gone her entire life, never knowing the hidden menace within her own flesh and blood. Usually, Ami was so sweet, but she had gone too far, this time.  
  
"That was cold, Ami!" Rei shouted, grabbing her gi and exiting the room. She ran for somewhere, anywhere, to go work out her frustrations with some katas. Maybe she could practice some of the stuff Zhu Shu had shown her.  
  
If only Zhu Shu were here, she thought.  
  
She stopped dead, struck with a sudden realization.  
  
Zhu Shu WILL be here!  
  
The overwhelming joy she felt at this epiphany overcame her anger enough to clear her head and guide her outside, where fresh air and exercise would do the rest.  
  
  
  
"Ami, that was really mean," Lita observed. "That's not like you."  
  
"Yeah, is there something wrong?" Serena rose, and sat on the bed where Ami's rump had fallen like a lead weight once Rei had gone. Tears streamed down her slender face as she fought to keep her composure.  
  
"When we got to the inn last night, I noticed there was another spike. It must have happened while we were on the plane," Ami said. "And there was another in the middle of last night, and another on the way here."  
  
Lita, Mina, and Serena exchanged clueless glances, not sure what Ami did once she uploaded her data. Finally, Mina managed a weak but encouraging, "Yeah?"  
  
"Well the two most recent were definitely from here," Ami continued. "Very high-level bursts, with a lot of residue. They're getting stronger."  
  
"And the third one? The one that happened yesterday?" Lita asked, her eyes wide.  
  
"That one originated from the mainland. From an area called Joketsuzoku," Ami said miserably.  
  
Now the other three turned ashen.  
  
"Ami," Serena began slowly. "Isn't that where.?"  
  
Ami nodded, her whole body feeling numb as she did so. "That's where Akane and Zhu Shu went for the betrothal ceremony." 


End file.
